180



J. Delacour—Small Birds at Clares



present nesting, a Ruby-throat, some beautiful Manakins and Yellow¬

winged Sugar Birds, and a Senegal Sunbird. Peace reigns in this

community and not a leaf is damaged by the birds. The next com¬

partment bouses only a breeding pair of tame Sbamas and a fine Red¬

breasted Sunbird ( C . gutturalis), wbicb there retains his brilliant scarlet

gorget at the moult, but is so spiteful as to kill any weaker bird.


The central part of the new house, which is connected with the old

one by a glass covered passage, contains a breeding pair of Purple

Sugar-birds, a Vigor, Sunbird, finger-tame, a pair of Larger Minivets,

one Lesser Mini vet (P. cinnamomeus) , a pair of Tickell’s, one White-

browed and one Blue-throated, Blue Fly-catchers, a pair of Red¬

headed Tits (JEgithaliscus concinnus iredalei), a Blue-headed Robin

(Adelura coeruleocephala) , a Plumbeous Redstart, and a true pair of

Hooded Pittas. In the latter the male is much larger, brighter, and

bolder-looking than the hen. At first they fought badly ; now they

live, each in a part of the house, its territory in a state of armed peace,

which I hope will soon change into one of a happy married life. To

them have been added a pair of Black and White Manakins (Manacus

manacus) and some Humming Birds, such as Eupetomena glaucis,

Pygmornis, Thalurania , Lampornis, and Hylocharis .


In the side aviaries, which do not contain any vegetation but are

surrounded by creepers and other tall plants, there are a Rifle Bird of

Paradise and a very pretty Yellow-legged Ouzel (Turdus flavipes) from

Brazil, rare Barbets Megalcema lagrandieri, which I caught in Laos,

and a Brazilian species ( Capito aurovirens) ; although of very different

sizes they agree well, but will attack wickedly all other birds. Another

compartment houses several species of Zosterops, Fruit-suckers and

Sugar-birds, and a Senegal Sunbird, while other Sunbirds live in

cages ; another flight is given up to a large and varied population.

Black-throated Cardinals (P. gularis), a very rare small species,

Abyssinian Red-headed Barbets, Amethyst and Royal Starlings, a

Cayenne Troupial, an Annamese Mesia (M. cunhaci ) and some larger

Tanagers ; in others are a pair of Malacca Parrakeets, Red-headed

(P. rubricapilla) and Beautiful Manakins ( C . pareola), and many sorts of

smaller Tanagers. The special Humming-birds’ compartment contains

about fifteen Humming-birds of the following genera; Phcelornis



