38



J. Delacour—Bird Notes from Cleres for 1932



handsome, being white with dark grey markings on the hind neck and

breast, and all the wing feathers with dark grey centres. Needless to

say that I had no intention of producing these hybrids !


Six South African, 4 Common, and 4 hybrid Rajah X Ruddy

Sheldrakes were also reared, as well as about 100 Duck and Teal of

different species ; one pair of Cinnamon Teal produced not less than

nineteen young in three clutches, thirteen of which were fully reared,

the last brood, left to the mother, having met with accident.


A Cotton Teal, unfortunately unmated, kept in a large flight, laid

two eggs.


All the Sea Ducks are flourishing on soaked dog-biscuit and grain,

and of course what natural food they may find. I have had a pair

of Common Scoters now for more than four years and a male Velvet

Scoter for two years. A lovely tame drake Long-tail is doing beauti¬

fully and is now in full plumage. No doubt the clear, cold, running

water of the small chalky lake is congenial to these birds.


Through the help of the Berlin Zoo and Messrs. Carl Hagenbeck

I was able to acquire some imported Ruddy-headed and Ashy-headed

Geese which ought to prove most useful for a change of blood, as none

had been obtained in Europe for many years and the stock was

beginning to deteriorate. I also obtained Red Shovellers and Versicolor

Teal from South America.


In the small birds’ aviaries a certain number of more or less common

species of Finches were bred, the most interesting being the Madagascar

Weaver ( Foudia ). I kept in the largest flight two pairs of birds that

I brought over in 1929. One pair nested three times last summer

in a privet, rearing four young ones. Of course, as soon as it started

breeding one of the males killed the other one. The Madagascar

Weaver has not been often bred in captivity.


Many Bronze-winged, Jobi, Long-tailed, and Diamond Doves were

bred, and also Budgerigars and Lovebirds.


The indoor aviaries are well stocked at present, with

several Humming-birds, Sunbirds, Motmots, a rare Lagrandiere’s

Great Barbet, which I caught in Laos, an American Golden Green

Barbet ( Bucco aurovirens), a lovely South American Ouzel ( Turdus

flavipes), a pair of Yellow-fronted Mesias from Laos ( Mesia cunhaci),



