34



Dr. E. Hopkinson,



Coccystes) is incidentally mentioned as a cage-bird by Dr. Russ in

the chapter on “ Food for Birds ” in his ‘ Lehrbuch,’ and in Stark

and Sclater’s ‘ Birds of S. Africa ’ (vol. iii, p. 195), there is an

account of a young one taken from the nest which lived four

months.


Emerald Cuckoo ( Metallococcyx smaragdineus).


This, one of the lovely “ Golden Cuckoos ” of West Africa, is a

bird about 8 in. long, the male of which is most beautifully clothed

in metallic emerald-green and gold. The'one record of this bird in

confinement I know is that of Keuleman’s, who thus closes an

account he writes to accompany a coloured plate of this species,

which appeared in ‘ Bird Notes,’ vol. v (1907), p. 245 :


“ It feeds on berries as well as insects, and with insect

“ food given it in large quantities it will live in confinement for

“ a long period, but never becomes tame. The one whose

“ portrait, originally drawn in 1866, accompanies these notes,

“ was caught by myself in Prince's Island and remained alive

“ for two years.”


This long life was doubtless due to the fact that, the experi¬

ment took place in West Africa, so that the “ large quantities of

insect food” required were always obtainable. This — the ease with

which the food-needs of “ soft-bills ” can be supplied—is one of the

few advantages of West Africa, but it is an advantage which will

only appeal to the very few. Plenty of bird-food means plenty of

white ants, and therefore, plenty of damage to one’s belongings,

while besides there are, of course, the hosts of mosquitoes, flies, and

other creeping and flying tormentors to remember as well.


The Koel ( Eudynamis lionorata).


This is a large black bird, with a rather long tail, which is a

native of India. The male is entirely metallic black, the female

brown spotted with white. These birds, like the Common Cuckoo,

are parasites as regards their eggs, victimising for this purpose the

two Indian Crows. In vol. iii of the 1 Fauna of British Indian Birds,’

by Oates and Blanford, from which the above particulars are derived,

we read (p. 229) that “ Koels are often kept caged by natives of



