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J. Delacour—Breeding of Courier Water-Tyrant



go smoothly : fights took place and after some time two were killed.

The two remaining birds were evidently a pair.


Early last winter they started carrying moss and small twigs and

soon built a purse-shaped nest, rather loosely made, in a creeper at

a height of 8 feet overhanging the pond. I do not know how many eggs

were laid, as I did not wish to disturb the birds, but after about twelve

days the nest was found to be empty and one broken egg, containing

a well-developed chick, was found at some distance on the soil.


Soon after another nest was built, in another creeper 2 yards

away from the first one and higher up still. Eggs were laid again and,

on 25th February, two young Tyrants left the nest. They are exactly

like the parents but smaller and with a shorter tail. The eggs are

greyish olive, much marked and speckled with darker grey and brown.

One chick was weak and died after three days, being found in the pond.

The other one developed normally, and it is now indistinguishable from

the parents. The young were reared quite easily on the parents’ diet—

insectile mixture, raw meat, and a few meal-worms.


A third clutch was laid in the same nest in May, and on the 26th

three strong young ones came out. They are now in perfect health

and although they had a new brood the parents have never so far

molested their first baby. It is the more remarkable that they try to

attack savagely a newly imported specimen in a neighbouring aviary.


As Mr. de Quincey tells me, these Water-Tyrants are quite hardy,

and his pair wintered safely out of doors this year. They also bred

but the young died soon after they came out of the nest. There is no

doubt that tropical birds have a much better chance to rear their

offspring when always kept at a favourable and even temperature,

as is the case in my greenhouses. Three years ago a pair of Shamas

reared two full broods without losses in one of the compartments ;

and one knows that, although they nest freely, the young are not too

easy to breed in an outdoor aviary. Also it may interest our readers

to hear that my Hooded Pittas have young again. The breeding pair

is composed of the old hen and one of her sons bred last year.


To come back to our Water-Tyrants. I shall say that they are most

attractive birds in colour, shape, and behaviour. They look very

different and much nicer than most members of their family. Always



