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J . Delacour — Bird-breeding at Cleres



Waxbills ( Urasginthus cyanocephalus), and Tanganyika Melba

Finches ( Pytelia melba grotei) did well in the aviary and were easy

to keep in fine condition, but did not attempt to breed. Two other

species, perhaps less well-known, are the Kenya Fi refinch ( La go -

nosticta rubricata hildebrandti ) and the Yellow-bellied Waxbill

(Coccopygia melanotis kilimensis), closely related to the Dufresne’s

Waxbill. Both these, though they did well in my aviary, surprised

me by making no attempt to nest.


Against my lack of success in breeding any of these rarer species,.

I had particularly good results with the commoner birds. My

Gouldians and Long-tailed Grass Finches were in excellent form r

and my Diamond Sparrows produced sixteen youngsters in five-

nests !


In conclusion I can only hope that Dame Fortune will favour

me more kindly next year.



BIRD-BREEDING AT CLERES


By J. Delacour


The two very dry years which we have just had in Normandy

have been favourable in many ways, but also had their drawbacks

in aviculture; many birds did not lay as well as usual, and the

shortage of insects in the summer was decidedly detrimental to

certain species.


The large flightless birds, Emus and Rheas, have done well;

some thirty white and grey Rheas were raised in 1933, but only

eight in 1934, owing to the loss of the best breeding female. My

Emus and Darwin’s Rheas are not properly paired, and naturally

did not breed.


Many Cranes laid clear eggs, but each year three pairs of

Demoiselles nest, always at the same places, very far distant, and

rear their young without difficulty. They are fascinating to watch,

as they are such wonderful parents, catching insects all day long

for their chicks. This year, an old hen Eastern Sams, who never

had produced fertile eggs as long as she had a cock of her own

species, hatched and reared two fine hybrids with an Australian



