The Yellow 
Planta n Eater. 
(49) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Yellow Plantain Eater or Hangnest. 
(.Icterus xanthornis). 
By W. T. PAGE, F.Z.S. 
Among the rare birds recently presented to the 
Zoo by an esteemed friend and fellow-avicultur- 
ist was one of these fine and handsome birds, and 
it may now be seen disporting itself in the 
Western Aviary at our London Gardens. 
Plumage. 
This is exceedingly beautiful, the colours 
being very intense and effulgent. Upper parts, 
brilliant yellow, washed with olivacious on the 
interscapulium; lores, 
wings, and middle of 
throat, velvety black; 
lesser wing - coverts, 
yellow, slightly washed 
with green in some speci¬ 
mens ; the greater wing- 
coverts, secondaries and 
primaries are finely edged 
with white, these mark¬ 
ings being somewhat 
variable (comparing three 
skins which reached me 
from Georgetown, British 
Guiana, last summer, all 
are distinctly marked with 
white, but in one speci¬ 
men especially these 
markings are very dis¬ 
tinct and also broad com¬ 
pared with the type); 
under parts, bright yel¬ 
low; tail, black; bill, legs, 
and feet, black. Total 
length, 7.5m., of which 
the tail measures 3.5m. 
The female is similar as 
to plumage, but if my 
skins are correctly sexed 
she is slightly the larger 
bird, and her bill is a trifle 
shorter than that of her 
mate. 
The above descriptions 
are from skins sent to me 
direct from British Guiana. 
With them I also received 
two nests and a pair of 
eggs, a nest being herewith illustrated. 
These birds nest in colonies, and suspend 
their elongated purse-shaped nests from the 
branches, but description is not needed with the 
accompanying reproduction of the photo of one 
of the nests now in my cabinet. The sizes are 
respectively 14 inches long and 4 inches diameter 
(see photo), and 12 inches by 4 inches. 
The eggs are very pale bluish-green, lined and 
spotted with black ; size, ij4in. by -j%in. 
Habitat. 
This is given by the British Museum Catalogue 
of Birds as Northern Columbia, Venezuela, Trini¬ 
dad, Guiana, Cayenne, and Upper Rio Negro. The 
skins, nests, and eggs described herein were taken 
in Georgetown, British Guiana. 
In the aviary these, and in fact all the Hang- 
nests, are most desirable and beautiful inmates, but 
they should not be associated with birds weaker or 
smaller than themselves; 
also, either as single birds 
or in pairs, they are cage- 
birds par excellence. 
Though I believe the 
afore-mentioned specimen 
at the Zoo to be the first 
living specimen imported 
to this country, there is no 
reason why they should 
not be freely imported if 
they were inquired for, as 
they can be taken quite 
close to port. They would 
require dieting on ripe 
fruit, living insects, and 
some good soft food mix¬ 
ture, and the only protec¬ 
tion they would require 
would be to be kept free 
from draught. The photos 
do not properly convey a 
correct idea of the contrast 
between the beautiful 
yellows and black of the 
plumage. They are active, 
fearless birds, of fine form 
and erect carriage, and 
would be a source of con¬ 
tinuous pleasure and inter¬ 
est to their owner, whether 
kept in a cage or flying at 
large in the aviary. 
All the Hangnests are 
handsome and interesting 
birds, and my remarks 
as to I. xanthornis would, 
as regards food, treat¬ 
ment, and demeanour, apply pretty well to all the 
species. All this genus are desirable inmates of 
either cage or aviary, and all (even the Black 
Hangnest) are exceedingly handsome and inter¬ 
esting birds. 
The term Plantain-eater, though correct 
enough in regard to the partly-frugivorous 
habits of the birds, is not a very happy one, 
being also applied to some Touracous (Musopha- 
gidez). 
