76 PONDS, PADDOCKS, AND AVIARIES 



had a steady, soft rain of some eight hours' duration in 

 the past night, and there are signs of more to come." ^ 



"July 2nd, 1893. 



" Two of the young black woodpeckers are doing 

 well on a diet of ants' eggs and wasp grubs, of which 

 latter we have a superabundant supply this year. I 

 have kept Gecinus viridis, G. canus, P. mariius, P. 

 leuconotus, P. major, P. tridactylus, and the golden- 

 winged pecker of N. America, but I cannot say that any 

 have done really well with me except P. major and the 

 last named. With all the others there is a great difficulty 

 in training them ofF insect food, but P. major takes 

 readily to various fruits, chopped meat, crushed hemp 

 seed, and hard-boiled eggs. The young black wood- 

 pecker only differs from the adult in having, in both 

 sexes, the whole of the crown scarlet. A friend of mine 

 came to us the other day direct from a visit to the 

 Fames, and reported very full, breeding colonies. 



" My infirmities have prevented me from seeing the 

 Zoological Gardens since 1884, but 1 hear woeful accounts 

 of the condition of many of the living animals there. I fear 

 that financial ' tightness ' has something to do with this. 



"Your story of Syrnium cinereum is most interesting.* 



1 To the Editor. 



* This refers to the securing of a Great Grey Owl {Syrnium cinereum) 

 in North-West Canada, by the simple ruse of hiding in the grass, 

 squeaking like a rat, and throwing forward a brown cloth cap. The 

 owl stooped at this, seized it, and was shot as it was carrying it off. 



