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J. Dclacour — Birds in the Park at Cleres



they have more settled down, after several years, and come into

breeding condition, I shall have to separate some pairs to avoid fights

in the spring. They generally keep together, with the exception of the

flock of Demoiselles and the Crowned Cranes, which stay by themselves.

These Cranes do not always keep near the water in which they sleep,

but go all over the park, and spend a good part of their time on the

higher ground. The cock Sarus is full-winged, and it is a beautiful

sight to watch him flying round and circling, which he does about

four times a day. He sometimes disappears and flies very high for as

much as half an hour, but except on one occasion he has never

alighted anywhere but in the park. As he flies he utters loud calls,

which his wives and the other Cranes answer. Some newly imported

Demoiselles are also left unpinioned, but their feathers have not grown

yet, and they still are unable to fly. I find my Cranes never touch

the trout, which are abundant in the stream and the lake.


A pair of pinioned Screamers is a good addition to the Waders’

collection. They behave exactly like Geese, and swim a good deal,

looking for their food on the lake like Water-fowl. They are quite

harmless to other birds. They feed on grass only, and in winter touch

a little meat mash. Flamingoes are delightful on the river, which is full

of freshwater shrimp and supplies them with excellent food. I was

lucky enough to receive four of them out of a consignment of twenty

sent to the Paris Museum Zoo by the city of Alexandria. My little

river being rather deep, the Flamingoes very often have to swim, and

behave exactly like swans when they search for their food under

water.


My Water-fowl were doing splendidly when, last June, an otter got

through a gate on the river, which had been pushed slightly open by

the water, and killed over thirty of my best Ducks, and even my old

breeding female Bar-headed Goose. The amount of damage one otter

can do in one night is extraordinary ; six Ducks and one Goose were

killed and more or less eaten. I have not been able, so far, to shoot or

catch this dreadful brute, but there are now no holes where it can get

through. It never caught a bird unless swimming on the water.

Fortunately I have a good many young ones which will fill the gaps

in the collection. Among these there are eight wild Muscovies, ten



