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Mr. H. Stuart Dove



The cranes, storks, etc., were out of doors during the day, but

driven into an unheated house for the night. The ostriches and

white rheas remained in their unheated shed, whose windows were

opened in the morning. The macaws and other parrots and parra-

keets lived well in an unheated room and bore the frost every night

without harm. The other birds remained in the heated house

when indeed the thermometer indicated sometimes only 4° C. In

spite of this low temperature, sun and sugar-birds, tanagers, etc.,

never had any disease ; two birds only died of pulmonary illness,

but perhaps the most valuable—they were both the Wilson’s Paradise

birds. It is a great pity, for they were in such good condition. The

great Paradise bird did not suffer.


Other losses are the following :


Some great egrets, stupidly kept out of doors during the first

days, and though sheltered afterwards, soon died, as well as some

pochards and tufted ducks, which had no water to swim in ; the

black-necked swans, variegated sheldrakes, black-backed geese, and

all the tree-ducks, kept indoors only at night-time and out of doors

by daylight, died also. The American black-backed geese lived well.


On the ice some crows killed about twenty teals and small

ducks, as well as some black-headed gulls. One splendid cock

Borneo fireback and one hen Germain’s peacock pheasant were

found dead, although sheltered by night.


Nevertheless, one may consider that the exotic bird’s endur¬

ance of the cold is quite wonderful. I hope these observations will

be of some interest for the bird-lovers, and that my failures will

assist them in avoiding losses such as mine during future winters.



SOME TASMANIAN BIRDS’ NESTS.*


By H. Stuart Dove, R.A.O.U., West Devonport (Tas.).

(Continued from p. 237).


During the last week of October a tunnel of the Spotted

Pardalote was investigated near the Devil’s Punchbowl, Northern

Tasmania. A nest was found ready for eggs in the terminal chamber,

and was, as before, a sphere of fine gum bark, with side entrance.



From the ‘ Emu ’ (with acknowledgments to the Editor).



