66



Notes.



fly round, and feed in different meadows in the immediate vicinity.

And the Maned Geese (Australian “ Wood Duck ”) do likewise, but

they keep still nearer home.*


The Brazilian Motmot takes almost exactly two calendar

months to grow his two central tail-feathers, and even then the

racquets did not appear through the falling off of the webbing above

them, until about the tenth week.


Mr. Trevor-Battye writes that whilst three young Mandarin

Ducks were swimming on a pool in his grounds, a stoat suddenly

jumped off the bank almost on to them, and followed them swimming

across the water.


* * * *


He also saw a Black Redstart on the balcony outside his

bedroom in October (near Petersfield, Hants).


Lady Samuelson writes that she has been very lucky with

some of her birds. Ruficaudas had three broods, six young in the

first, three in the second (of which one bird was killed), and six in

the third. A pair of Blue-breasted Waxbills reared three young, and

there was also a brood of Gouldian Finches. Melba Finches twice

had a nest of young, but just as they were ready to fly, the parents

deserted them, or pulled the young out. Of Zebra Finches, Lady


Samuelson says she has a cloud!


* * * *


Mr. F. E. Blaauw writes from Gooilust, Holland, that he has

bred the following this season :


Two White-necked Cranes, six Trumpeter Swans, two Emperor

Geese, one Patagonian Black-faced Ibis, six South African Black

Duck [Anas sparsa), two African Red-billed Teal, four Long-billed

Parakeets, and a lot of “ the usual things.”


Mr. Guy Falkner sends a note about his pair of Swainson’s

Lorikeets which nested in the hollow trunk of a walnut-tree; but



* [Alas ! both were taken by a fox in November, whereby perished two most

charming pets.— Ed.]



