o?i Green Todies. — Atte??ipt to rear the Yoxing in Jamaica. 341


Alas on the evening of the fourth day a death occurred,

and, one by one, without apparent reason, the infants dropped

off, until, on the eighth day one only remained on the perches,

and he, so vigorous was he, managed to escape, flying clear and

easily away.


Gosse expresses surprise that the natives do not cage and

keep the Tody in confinement; knowing both bird and native,

my surprise would be rather to find the Tody so entertained.

Not every Jamaican can understand the reasonableness of caring

for a creature that yields no tangible return. I have frequently

been asked by some urchin for a canary or other cage-bird, and,

on enquiring the use for such, have in most matter of fact way

been told " eat him ! "


In Gosse's time he writes the Tody was common. It is,

in view of the ease with which my six examples were found,

singular, that he should admit having no knowledge of the 'nest,'

eggs or young. It is also equally strange that he should have

been so badly informed by Mr. Hill, who stated the material of

which the nest was made and the colour of the markings on the

eggs. The beautiful lustre of these is due to a particularly dark

yelk and the mere shell is disappointingly dead.


Mr. Taylor, too, I fancy mistakes when he says the Tody is

much reduced in numbers by the mongoose, for as a matter of

fact, quite near this gully, I have in one trap caught five mon-

gooses within a fortnight, thus proving the prevalence of the

animal in proximity to considerable numbers of Todies.


Reverting to the breeding site again, it is noteworthy that

all the six examples were found in the more sheltered north bank

and three eggs would appear to be a normal clutch.


The trip I write of is of more interest to me, for, although

I have accideutly and otherwise handled hundreds of scorpions,,

until now, I have not had the good fortune to be accidentally

stung. Here was a means of defence the Tody had that I did

not reckon on. A black scorpion was at home in one hole my

fingers investigated, and a well deserved reception was accorded

me. Profiting by this, a stick did deputy-finger work after, with

the result that a larger scorpion in one instance and a Croaking

lizard another were evicted.



