on the Nesting of the Black Ta?iagcr. 335


On July 10th a great change was to be seen in the young

Black and Tans. Their eyes were open and they had a good

covering of tan coloured feathers, a little lighter and not quite so

ruddy as the hen’s.


On the 1 xtli and 12th the hen was continually bathing.

No doubt, after her long period of incubation, she was troubled

by a certain crawliness.


The largest youngster left the nest on the 12th ; he is very

like his mother, except that he is a shade lighter and his feet are

bluish. I never saw a more self-possessed bird. He sat on the

pear tree in solemn silence, looking neither to the left nor to the

right. There is a quaint story in Herodotus of certain allies of

the Spartans who, in a time of famine, sent a deputation to the

Council of Ephors with a request for assistance. Well knowing the

Spartan characteristic of brevity of speech, the deputation pro¬

vided themselves with a mealsack and, holding this before them

with open mouth, they said “ The mealsack wants filling.” The

Council granted their request but added a rider to the effect that

there had been some waste of words as the deputation need only

have said “ wants filling.” But this young Tanager went one

better for he simply opened his mouth and said nothing. I may

add that I have never heard the young utter a sound.


The second—a much smaller bird but of a deeper shade—

left the nest the following day. I kept them well supplied with

insect food, but I have a note that on the 15th I saw the hen carry¬

ing a piece of banana. I did not see her give it to them but I

have since seen the young fed with fruit, and I can therefore state

as a fact that their diet is not entirely insectivorous, as one

would expect.


On the 23rd the hen bird was evidently thinking of nest¬

ing again, so I removed old and young to an indoor flight. Here

for nearly a whole day this queer, cranky family—both young and

old—sulked and refused to feed; but at length they thought

better of it, and now are most flourishing.


Although I have found them very interesting birds, I may

here say that I do not want any more Black Tanagers, nor do I

think that breeding the members of the Calliste or Tachyphonus

groups—will ever be popular with our members. I do not



