306 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



(312) THE BKONZE-WINGED JACANA. 



(METOPIDIUS WDICm-(Zath.)) 



Bengali — Jal-pipi, Karatiya, Kattoi. 

 Hab. — India, Burmah, and Malayana. 



(313) THE PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA. 



(HYDEOPHASIANUS CHIRUEGUS— (Scop.) ) 

 Hindi — Piho. Bengali — Dal-kakra. 

 Hab.— India and Burmah. 



Treatment in captivity. 

 Housing.— A. large sheet of water with grassy banks, planted here 

 and there with trees and shrubs to afford shade and cover, is the most 

 suitable accommodation for aquatic birds generally. But for practical 

 purposes it has been found necessary to enclose a long narrow arm of a 

 lake with light iron fencing about 4 feet high to keep the pelicans, swans, 

 flamingo, storks, &o. ; while for the ducks, geese, and other smaller 

 aquatic birds a light covered structure has been built over another end 

 of the ornamental waters : to give the 'birds shade, the roof must have 

 light thatching of ooloo grass, or creepers must be allowed to grow over 

 it. Most of these birds like retirement, aud opportunities should be given 

 them to enjoy it. Clumps of reed, grass, and shrubs should be planted, 

 but if the place is small and the birds are many, there is little chance 

 of anything growing ; small boxes and earthen pitchers, if put up in 

 convenient places, make excellent retiring nests for them. Perches and 

 sticks should be provided for the tree ducks. 



Cormorants and snake-birds have to be accommodated elsewhere, as 

 they are generally found to be unfriendly towards the inmates of a 

 duck-house. The experiment of keeping pelicans and swans loose in a 

 large lake was tried, but failed, owing chiefly to the depredations caused 

 by crocodiles in the water and jackals on land. This was unfortunate, 

 as the large island in the middle of the lake, thickly overgrown with 

 trees and shrubs, was all that a swan could desire as a breeding-ground. 

 Besides those mentioned above, there are also other disadvantages in 

 keeping aquatic birds loose in a large tank : unless their number is consi- 

 derable they become lost ; then there are birds which cannot be pinioned ; 

 these have to be periodically clipped — an operation which not only 

 involves much trouble, especially when there are many, but causes fright 

 and unrest in the whole colony ; then, again, the pelicans will soon clear 

 a tank of its fish. A simple enclosure like that used for keeping the 

 swans, &c, is, however, no safety against jackals and other predatory 

 animals at night, so that they have to be driven in every evening to a 

 shed. This is not a desirable arrangement, as the operation is not only 

 attended with trouble to the keeper, but sometimes with great discomfort 

 to the animals. 



Food. — Cormorants, snake-birds, and pelicans live upon fish; in 

 captivity the latter readily take to eat meat also, but too exclusive- 

 a meat-diet is injurious to their health. Although they can, and do, 



