68 J. Delacour—Some Birds in my Aviaries



been four eggs, I thought I’d put a finger in to see if everything was

all right. I chose the evening as I didn’t expect the bird to be on the

nest at 5 p.m. However, as luck would have it, she was on, but

fortunately took no notice of being poked by my finger. I hurriedly

retreated a few yards to see if she would come off, but as she didn't

appear for ten minutes I concluded that she wasn’t worried, and left

her. I didn’t like to feel any more, for fear of making her forsake,

so I don’t know how many eggs she laid, nor the exact day on which

she began to incubate. I didn’t see either bird for about a fortnight,

until one evening when they both flew across the lawn into a birch-

tree near the house, obviously my pair as the hen’s tail was very bent

from being twisted round in the nest. After this I saw them together

fairly frequently ; they were now using the garden again, but didn't

seem to have any fixed time for coming off the eggs to feed. On

29 th April I again felt in the nest, and found several very small birds

and could feel one or two eggs, but whether these were “ clear ” eggs or

have since hatched I don't know. The bird broods them a great deal,

but comes off if one walks by the nest; when she was incubating

she never stirred, even when one looked quite close at the nest. Some¬

times one could see her face looking out half smothered in feathers,

but she always retreated and huddled down into the nest instead of

coming out of it. I expect the young birds to remain in the nest until

about the 16th of this month (May). When building the birds took no

notice of me at all. I used to sit on a bank about three yards from the

nest and watch them ; as long as one kept still they didn’t worry.



SOME BIRDS IN MY AVIARIES


By J. Delacour.


In the course of 1920 I was lucky enough to procure six different

species of Barbets. I am particularly fond of this family of gorgeous

birds, whose peculiar shape and bright colours are often associated

with great tameness. Three of my Barbets come from Asia and three

from Africa. One knows that, besides these two continents, South

America also possesses Barbets. All are rather omnivorous, but Asiatic



