J. Delacour-—Notes on Waterfowl



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blades of this grass in it, then the Jays will gather around him and

they never fly away though they hear the sound of a gun.


The flesh of this Jay is not good to eat, but its feathers are beautiful,

and there was once a great demand for them as ornamental plumes,

but now it is protected by law as a natural monument throughout the

year. Unlike other Jays, it generally builds its nest in the hollow of

a tree, lined with leaves of Quercus cuspidata and plantains, but it is

said that on rare occasion it makes its nest like other Jays or uses

other birds’ nests. A clutch of eggs numbers three to five, but mostly

five. The ground-colour is pale greenish blue, generally with no

markings, rarely with small pale yellowish-brown spots. The breeding

season is from the middle of February to the latter part of March.


Captivity .•—In Japan it is very easy to keep in captivity ; it feeds

on common Japanese soft food, and if a small quantity of meat is

given to the bird it will appreciate it. Like other Jays it imitates

little bits of the bird’s song and will become attached to its owner.

A great drawback of this bird as a cage bird is that it bites the bark

of trees and kills the plants in the aviary. Although I have not yet

succeeded in breeding this bird, I do not think it would be difficult;



NOTES ON WATERFOWL


By J. Delacour


No order of birds is more popular than the Duck tribe, which

also includes Swans, Geese, and the different groups of birds related

to them. All are conspicuous game-birds, which always have attracted

sportsmen’s attention. Most of them are handsome and highly

ornamental, so that they are a wonderful ornament to water, whether

it be a stream, a pond, or a lake. Furthermore, they are much inclined

to breed in confinement, semi or full liberty. It is not therefore to be

wondered at if they are widely kept and bred. There are some large

private collections in England, in America, in Holland, and in France,

and hundreds of smaller ones. Several breeders make a regular living

out of their birds. Of public gardens, the Berlin Zoo certainly shows

the finest collection of Waterfowl, those of other similar establishments



