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J. Delacour—Breeding and other Notes from Cleres



of concealment as to their rarity. It would certainly be possible to

live a long time in the West African bush without knowing they existed,

if one were not familiar with their call-notes. They spend nearly all

their time in dense impenetrable thickets where they catch beetles,,

grubs, and other insects on the branches, also tree-frogs. The call-

notes are varied and mainly harsh, the commonest being exactly

like the croak of a frog.


These Shrikes are very courageous and I once came across a pair in

a very agitated state making a big commotion. A large snake had caught

their fully fledged young one and they were continually swooping:

down in an effort to save the unfortunate victim, but without success.

I quickly killed the snake only to find that the young bird was dead..

After I left, the parents immediately returned and viciously attacked

the dead reptile.


In captivity the Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike does not retain the

scarlet colouring of the breast feathers. Like many other birds with

red in the plumage, these parts become much lighter and yellowish

after the first moult.


This is the first importation of the species but another member of

the genus, the Grey-headed Bush-shrike (Malaconotus poliocephalus)

which is somewhat similar except for the breast feathers, has been

brought from Portuguese East Africa.



BREEDING AND OTHER NOTES FROM

CLERES


By J. Delacour


Like every other year, 1935 has had its good and bad points, the

worst of them being the very sharp frost that we had in mid-May,,

which did a lot of harm : many Pheasants did not lay their second

or third clutches. Pigeons were put back several weeks, as well as-

small birds. Some delicate birds were injured by this unusual cold

spell and even a Grey-backed Trumpeter, which probably roosted up

at night on some cold stone or iron bar, had its toes frost-bitten.



