on the Breeding Habits of Heck's Curassow. 25


or habit, and probably have a protective, or to be more accurate

a procryptic, significance. Perhaps indeed the striped species

frequent forests where the foliage is comparatively thin and

allows the light to flicker and filter through ; while the unstriped

species, may-be, occur in places where the dense foliage shuts-

out the light and produces sombre surroundings in harmony

with the dusky plumage of the birds.


Now our cock Globose Curassow never displayed any

special friendliness towards either of the hens of his own species ;

but, on the contrary, seemed to be more attracted by the hen of

Heck’s Curassow. Why this preference for an alien I do not

know. A taste for a variegated pattern of plumage, sexual

selectionists might suppose. Possibly; rather do I suspect, how¬

ever, that the guiding factor in the choice was some subtle sense

whereby he learnt that this particular hen was a likely breeder.

However that may be, when in 1906 the Curassows were placed

for the summer months in our great aviary, this pair bred and a

chicken was hatched, which unfortunately did not live for long.

While the breeding and incubation were in progress, the pair

proved impossible inmates of the aviary where other birds had to

be kept. The cock wanted the entire place for himself and his

mate, and there was no peace from sunrise to sunset. During 1907

they were left in the Eastern Aviary, and no inclination to pair

was evinced by either bird. In the spring of the current year, a

compartment of our Northern Pheasantry was set apart for them,,

all other birds being excluded except a pair of White-crowned

Pigeons, which we thought—wrongly as it turned out—would

not interfere with them. Our expectations that they would breed

were verified.


Towards the end of June the cock bird made a nest of

willow twigs up in the branches under the shed at the back of

the enclosure ; and in this two eggs, which by the way were white,

were laid. But the White-crowned Pigeons also wanted to make

use of the nest, and the disturbance caused by the Curassows'

resentment of this trespass, resulted, it is believed, in the smash¬

ing of both eggs. I11 any case they were found broken on the

nest. This accident was soon remedied. The pigeons were taken

away, fresh willow twigs were supplied and were woven into the



