J. Delacour—Small Birds at Cleres



179



NOTES ON THE SMALL BIRDS IN THE

TROPICAL HOUSES AT CLERES


By J. Delacour


In the last two or three years, in fact since I have started keeping

delicate small birds in a Tropical house, with heat and moisture

amongst a rich vegetation, a good many rare and little known

species have come to me to be tried there, with good results as a rule.


To the primitive house, which includes two divisions, another one,

much warmer, with double glass all over to avoid quick changes in the

temperature, has been added this year. The new house consists of a

central part with four separate flights on each side, a large water-lily

pool and aquaria, and at the end a smaller compartment, warmer

still, for very delicate birds—Humming Birds particularly.


The great difficulty in such accommodations is to associate satis¬

factorily the different sorts of birds and to avoid altogether that the

vegetation be soiled and damaged, and also that the food of certain

birds does not interfere with the health of others. This last draw¬

back is specially serious in the case of nectar-eating birds, Zosterops,

Fruit-suckers, Sun, Sugar, and Humming Birds, whose food (Mellin’s

food, honey, and milk) is eagerly eaten by others such as Tanagers and

Starlings, with the result that the latter soon become ill and die.

Therefore, it is only safe to associate them with species which will not

touch their sop, such as insectivorous birds and seed-eaters. At present

I put with them Fairy Bluebirds, Niltavas, Minivets, Tits, different

Chats and Kobins, Shamas, Pittas, Clarinos, Manakins, and such like,

but Tanagers, particularly, cannot live in their company for any

length of time, especially Callistes, such as Superb, Tri-coloured,

Festives, etc.


I now keep a few Seed-eaters in my first Tropical house. Although

most of them prove impossible as they cut leaves, I have found that

Bainbow and Indian Crested Buntings are very satisfactory ; also

Chinese Painted Quails, which look lovely as they walk among the

plants, Bartlett’s and Marquesas Doves. With them live the old

Fork-tail, tame and beautiful, a Blue-tailed Pitta, a White-capped

Bedstart, a pair of Niltavas, a Clarino, a pair of Fairy Bluebirds, at



