226 J. Delacour—Breeding the Hooded Pitta


Green feathers appeared very soon, and by 20th June had

almost completely replaced the brown ones on the under parts. A

complete moult into adult plumage took place on the beginning of

August.


On 23rd June the head of a chick was observed, and four the

following day. At once a platform was built in front of the nest.


On 11th July, on my return from the Ornithological Congress

at Oxford, the four young Pittas were out of the nest, and they

all have been fully reared.


But we now come to the sad end of the story, and we shall

see that, like the Thrushes, Pittas have the most wicked and

puzzling temper.


As soon as the young ones had left the nest, the cock Pitta, whose

plumage, and especially the quills, were in a very worn state,

started at once building another nest, this time on the ground, but

against the wall. I provided him with the necessary materials; the

hen helped a little and, by 15th July, the nest was almost completed.

I noticed that day there was a fight between the two parents, but

I thought it was only, as usual, an introduction to their mating,

and paid little attention to it. The next day the hen was chasing

the cock, who kept hidden most of the time, and I decided to keep

a special watch on the Pittas. I went into the greenhouse every

hour or so, to see how matters w~ere going on; it was very much

the same. But at the end of the day the male was found dead in

the pond ! There is no doubt that the female, whose wings and

other feathers were still perfect, pushed him into the water and

prevented him from getting out. He was in perfect health

otherwise, and had no visible wounds.


The hen has not laid up to now; it is very probable that the

male wanted to breed again; but she refused to do so, hence the

struggle with its tragic end. She carried on feeding the young

ones and still is looking after them most devotedly to this day.


I only hope that, among the young birds, there will be a male

to replace his father. I have also got now a pair of Macklot’s

Pittas in my greenhouses. But I have only three compartments

large enough and suitable for the breeding of Pittas.



