29 I Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



at the Zoological Society's Gardens, which are well worthy 

 of examination. One of a pair of the pretty little Japanese 

 Tits (Parus varius), received on the 16th of February, 1903, 

 is still surviving and in excellent condition. With it is 

 associated an example of the brilliantly-coloured Silver-eared 

 Mesia (Mesia argentauris), presented by Mr. E. W. Harper, 

 F.Z.S. Another rare and beautiful bird presented by the 

 same generous donor is the Blue-winged Siva (Siva cyano- 

 pterd). Other remarkable birds in the insect-house at the 

 present time are Cuvier's Podargus {Podargus cuvieri) and 

 the Golden-throated Barbet {Cyanops franklmi), besides a 

 very lively Hoopoe (Upupa epops). The two male specimens 

 of the King Bird-of-Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) received last 

 year remain much in the same plumage as when they arrived, 

 but the examples of the Greater and Lesser Paradise-birds 

 are in (more or less) full dress. 



The Glossy Ibises in the Zoological Gardens. — It is not 

 generally known that the Glossy Ibises which breed every 

 year in the Great Aviary in the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society arc a hybrid race between Plegadis falcinellus and 

 P. guarauna, but such is the case. The foundation of the 

 present flock of Ibises was a series of 7 specimens of 

 P. guarauna received from Argentina in January 1893. 

 To these were added in August of the same year 1.2 examples 

 of P. falcinellus obtained from tbe marshes of the Guadal- 

 quivir, and presented to the Society by the late Lord Lilford. 

 The two flocks made friends at once, but did not begiu to 

 breed until 1895, when several nests were made, three young 

 being hatched on June 10th. The Ibises continued to make 

 nests every year after this, and young birds were produced 

 in 1896, 1898, 1900, 1901, and 1904. But it will easily be 

 understood that, with Gulls, Sheathbills, and other hungry 

 birds of a predaceous disposition in the Aviary, nestlings 

 often disappear. 



The Emperor Penguin. — The Friday-evening lecture at the 

 Royal Institution on January 27th last was delivered bv 



