. Foreign birds for cage and aviary . nearer to thebottom of the cavity, some 2in. in diameter, and always,I think, on the underside of the bough. As a , like others of the family, these Barbets seemto be able to find out branches that are decayed in-ternally, although externally to the human eye exliibit-ing no signs of this, and into such, through the harderexternal shell of the branch, tbev cut a perfectly circuhir TDURACOUS. 121 hole with tlie edges neatlv bevelled off inside and eggs are at the bottom of the cavity into ■whichtlie\- liave thus bored (and which they smo
. Foreign birds for cage and aviary . nearer to thebottom of the cavity, some 2in. in diameter, and always,I think, on the underside of the bough. As a , like others of the family, these Barbets seemto be able to find out branches that are decayed in-ternally, although externally to the human eye exliibit-ing no signs of this, and into such, through the harderexternal shell of the branch, tbev cut a perfectly circuhir TDURACOUS. 121 hole with tlie edges neatlv bevelled off inside and eggs are at the bottom of the cavity into ■whichtlie\- liave thus bored (and which they smoothen a gooddeal interiorly), often a couple of feet below th© ifnnr,and liiid merely on the chips produced in the course ofthe work. The normal number of the eggs is four, Ibut I ha\e notunfreKiucntly found only tliree hard-eet ones or newly-Hedged young birds. llie hole varies in length from 1ft. to 4ft. or 5ft.,and the diameter of the chamber, when, as sometimeshappen.*, this is cut entirely by themselves in sound Bites Ihi/:,. I,\NT s liAIlIlET. I hough soft wood, scarcely 4in. The birds oftenuse the same hole year after year, but generally lengthenit each .reason. ■ The long, narrow, pure ^vhite egg of this species,■\vhose fragile shell has rarely much, and is often devoidof all, gloss, reminds one much of those of our CommonIndian Shrift (C aMnis). Typically the eggs are almostcylindrical, tai>ering eoimewhat towards one end, butthe ends themselves are broad and obtuse, and no ten-dency to point is observable ; they vary, however, much-in size, and within certain limits in shape Hereand there a tolerably peirfect oval may be met with, anda slightly p,\ii-iform variety is occasionally and unblown, like so many eggs of thistype, they have a delicate pink blush. ■In length they vary from to inch, and in breadth from to inch; but the average of avery large series is by inch. ThiK Barbet wa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1910
