BORNEAN CRESTED FIREBACK 135 
The young female—having the added cause for negligence of parent protection, was 
positively regardless of what might threaten. She gave herself wholly to the pleasure 
of eating, with only now and then a perfunctory glance around, with no motionless 
periods whatever, but scratching vigorously all the while. It is exceedingly interesting 
that while in the adults continual consciousness of danger should be so acute, 
nevertheless it should be manifested in so defective a manner in nearly grown birds, 
in which total independence has not as yet called out the need for the perfect exercising 
of this function. 
I have mentioned several times the habit of scratching among the leaves for 
insects, and that I saw the birds again and again taking small insects or other little 
creatures from leaves. When the birds are feeding on the move, to or from the river, 
they seem chiefly to look for such food, but when more or less settled down in one 
spot, I noticed them more often plucking at the leaves and young grass-like growths. 
The crops of a number of birds indicated that seeds and leaves were the main source 
of food supply, while it was only occasionally that insects actually predominated. The 
most common proportion was a goodly number of seeds of various kinds, a less amount 
of leaves and comminuted vegetable matter of a similar nature, with a scattering 
indication of small insects. These latter consisted almost entirely of ants and small 
beetles, either small iridescent flower beetles, or grubs and ground coleoptera. An 
acorn-like fruit was found in several cases, called by the natives dompelt. 
CAPTIVITY 
One day on the Upper Rejang River in Sarawak, a Dyak brought me two Crested 
Firebacks, a cock and a hen, in coarse woven native ‘‘quakes” or round baskets. They 
had been trapped together at the edge of a paddy field, and the savage said through 
the interpreter that they were “man and wife.” I took this as a good omen, and as 
it was near the end of my stay I did not sacrifice them for the sake of science, but 
placed the birds in more comfortable quarters, and in the semi-darkness of half-covered 
cages began to accustom them to a diet of paddy and what other vegetables I could 
procure. They soon became rather quiet, and in fact within a week would show but 
little fear even when the food dishes were being cleaned and filled. The cock, at first 
pecking fiercely at my hand from anger, soon appreciated that each time I approached, 
a large fat insect was dropped within his cage, and he soon took the grasshoppers and 
beetles direct. They were such model captives that they had a most wholesome effect 
on my other birds, and ‘did much to quiet two particularly nervous Argus females and 
a covey of wood quail. On the down-river journey they were perched high up on the 
matting roof of the war canoe, and made the journey safely. Finally at Singapore they 
started for their final destination in most elaborate crates of teak-wood fashioned by 
the skilled hands of Chinese carpenters. 
Several. weeks later, three of the Bornean Crested Firebacks were turned out in 
a roomy aviary at Bernardsville, New Jersey, where they stretched their wings, and 
preened their plumage in comfort. The ‘‘man and wife,” if such they had been, would 
have none of each other, but the splendid cock bird cast his affections upon a young 
hen which was in the same lot. These paired off, and made things so unpleasant for 
