risits 1() Mt'inhcrs' A^'uirics. 
95 
Range : The Transvaal, Natal, Ikcliuanaland, Rhodesia, 
and I'ortngese East Africa. 
//■//(/ Liic : The acconnts of this are rather meayre; Mr. 
Bnckley writes : 
•■ It cri.'ci).s alony the hoii.^lis of a tree like a Woijdpccker, tor which 
" 1 often nli^l(lok it ; it is by no means a shy Ijird."' 
1 )r. Exton writes : 
'■ 'I'lie note of this bird is a eonlinuou;. trill, somewhat resembling- the 
■■ quick ■ lap, tap, ta[) " of Ucndrobatcs, when at work on a decayed tree. 
■' I obtained throe specimens by following the sound from tree to tree. 
■■ When callinyr tlu-N usually ])erch upon the uppermost twig, and their 
■• peculiar jeik of the body whilst producing the sound, can be visibly dis- 
•• linguished. The female has the same note as the male. In a fresh 
" si)ecimen the bill is greenish-yellow, tipped with black; iris reddish brown ; 
" gizzard contained berries and shreds of leaves; that of the female only 
■' contained shreds of leaves." 
In CaMii'itv ; They mnst either be kept alone or associ- 
ated with birds similarly robust, stroiiy and audacious to 
themselves, as they are well able to account for birds much 
stronger than themselves. The late Col. Boyd Horsbrugh, who 
imported the first two to this country, states that when he put a 
Meyer's Parrot into their large cage they would have killed it 
very quickly had he not been watching. 
They are susceptible to cold and are the Ijetter for a 
retiring box or log in their cage or flight, and should only be 
kept outside during the warm summer months. 
Diet : .Sweet, ripe fruit ad. lib., any kind they will take, 
the more varied the better; also a liberal supply of live insects; 
insectile mixture, boiled rice (sweetened); stewed fruit and milk 
sop may also be given to vary the diet. Barbets have rather 
individual tastes, which we must pander to, allowing them to 
choose what they will take from some such menu as above. If 
they take all indiscriminately all the better, as an amply varied 
ine)!H can be maintained. 
Bluk-ciikj',kk!) B.'\KjiKr {Cyanof's asiafica): This is at: 
Indian species, and is much more connnon than the above; it has 
several times been written about in Bird Notks, and I need add 
but Httle here. I have had quite a few of them ; they are hand- 
some, really beautiful birds, and as regards their treatment ii. 
captivity, recpiire the same ;/;(-;/;/ and accommodation as Le 
Vaillant's. 
Mr. Scott r'reeland kc])! a pair in his large aviary among 
