J. Delacour—Bird Notes from Cleres



7



unfertile eggs. In 1931 she laid five, three of which hatched and two

young were reared. The chick looks like a small Silver Pheasant,

but darker, with reddish head. An imported pair of Mikado Pheasants

produced thirteen young ones in 1930, and the same number again

in 1931. This fine species from Formosa does not seem to breed before

two years old. I have just obtained another pair from Formosa which

will enable me to renew the blood.


I also own some wild-caught, and therefore pure-blooded, Amherst

Pheasants which I brought in 1930 from Yunnan. The wonderful

Blue Crossoptilons sent to me in 1929 by Mr. Hampe being all males,

hybrids with the brown species were reared last year and look almost

like pure blue ones. One of these 1930 hybrid hens bred, in 1931, two

young ones with a pure blue cock ; these are indistinguishable from

their father. In 1930 we reared some Soemmerring’s Pheasants, a

few of which escaped from their coop and have become established

in the woods, where they are occasionally seen, together with some

Bel’s Kalij. Unfortunately, the breeding hen died last year and the

cock, which was always quite harmless to her, would not accept a new

hen, and did his best to kill her. We saved her life, but all hopes of

breeding that species in 1931 vanished. During these two breeding

seasons we also reared a fair number of the following species : Monaul,

Brown Crossoptilon, Elliot’s, Edward’s, Imperial, Black-crested Kalij,

Horsfield’s, Versicolor, Amherst Pheasants; Bed and Sonnerat’s

Junglefowl ; Madagascar Guineafowl; Wild Turkeys; White and

Black-shouldered Peafowl. Brush Turkeys, kept in pairs, fought and

killed one another. The remaining birds, duly separated, built huge

nests, but we never saw any chicks. Some Doves and Pigeons were

bred: Diamond, Australian Crested, Bronze-winged, Jobi and

Marquesa ( rubescens ), and, for the first time since I have kept birds,

one Nicobar Pigeon. To my surprise, the young one remained nearly

six weeks in the nest, till quite fully grown. The collection of Water-

fowl is better than it ever was, although I must admit I have no more

Pink-headed Ducks, Pigmy Geese, African Black Ducks, White-

backed Ducks or Hottentot Teal, but among the larger Ducks and

Geese our series is fairly good with several pairs of each of such

rare species as Ashy-headed, Ruddy-headed, Blue-winged, Andean,



