84 



THE LATE EMERALD BIRD OF PARADISE AT 



THE ZOO. 



Sir, — The following letter, received in answer to an 

 enquir}- of mine, may be of interest to onr members, in view 

 of the mention made of P. apoda in onr last issne. It is from 

 Mr. de Winton, the Acting Superintendent of the Gardens, and 

 is dated March 14th. 



" I regret to say our Bird of Paradise, P. apoda, died 

 " about three weeks ago. It had just completed its moult, 

 " and was in remarkably fine plumage. Up to twenty- 

 " four hours before death it was in high spirits and ate 

 " enormously, and was a most charming pet. 



" It had unlimited fruit and biscuits, and I fed it myself 

 " the day before it died, on bananas, grapes, biscuits, and 

 " mealworms. Imagine my surprise, on taking it up when 

 " dead, to find that it was terribly thin : this sudden death 

 " and emaciation when in high spirits and feeding 

 " ravenously, is a very common occurrence." 



Mr. Clarence Bartlett (the late Superintendent) also in- 

 formed me that the bird was received in exchange from a 

 dealer in Germany— Mr, Hagenbeck, he believed. 



J. A. Swan. 



