Notes on the " Urraca " Jay and other South American birds. 33


closure in which she had her first brood and leave the chicks in

the run another week by themselves, then transferring them to a

separate aviary or larger run. If they should be allowed with

the nesting quails they would most probably disturb these or be

driven about and perhaps killed by the adult males. It is advis-

able to move the run on to fresh ground at least once during the

time it is occupied by the brood.


Quails, whether young or old, have a habit, especially at

night-time, of springing into the air, and captive specimens

often injure themselves severely by dashing against the wire-

netting forming the roof of their enclosure. It is therefore an

excellent plan to cut the flight-feathers of one wing or even to

pinion the birds when young to prevent this.


All of the species of Cotnrnix are quite hardy providing

they have access to a dry place in winter.



SOME NOTES ON THE "URRACA" JAY* AND


OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN BIRDS.


By H. C. Martin.


Returning home lately after some years spent in Uruguay

I brought with me a couple of these beautiful Jays, which, as far

as I can gather, have been but little, if at all, imported before and

do not seem to be known to the dealers. My surroundings out

there were not such as to make it very easy to do much in the

way of aviculture, but the innate love of keeping some sort of

" bichos," and particularly birds, had to have its outlet and, in

spite of difficulties and the " slackness" after business hours that

a warm climate tends to produce, it was not long before I had a

small, miscellaneous collection together in a sort of glorified

fowl-run, divided into three compartments. There I kept, or

keep, for I expect they will most of them still be there when I

return in December, some of the common Tinanious and some

"martineta" Tinanious, known usually by the names of " perdiz "

and "perdiz graude," a pair of a pretty little blue-gray Heron

(" mirasol "), some aquatic bird very similar to a Curlew but


* Presumably the Pileated Jay {Cyanocorax pilcatus).— Ed.



