238



Correspondence.



lake never take any notice whatsoever of the noises and seem able to differentiate

between the blasts and the firing of a shot gun. On the other hand, every month

or so we get what is known here as a “ big shot,” which is a heavy charge of

dynamite, and which when exploded blows away a large portion of the rock face,

making a deep tearing noise and shaking the ground for miles around ; such

explosions make the pheasants “ crow,” the ducks on the lake jump into the air

and if you happen to be peacefully writing ornithological notes you probably

jump yards high out of your chair and make a few blots on your paper ! Heavy

gun-fire, especially from the sea, appears to make the same subterranean con¬

cussion and to cause the pheasants to ‘‘ crow” in the same way ; moreover the

birds seem more sensitive to these concussions than we humans are !


Is it feasible to suppose that these nervous “crowings” of the wild

pheasants are due, not so much to hearing a sound which reminds them of

shooting days, but rather to a highly-strung nervous system being suddenly

“shocked” by an unwonted sound? I think we are all more or less agreed

that “song” in birds is the outcome of a highly-strung and excited nervous

system and is simply a safety-valve whereby nature lets off superfluous energy,

and I think I am right in saying that when a bird’s nervous system suddenly

receives a shock the bird at once breaks out into song, hence the “ crowing” of

wild pheasants under gun-fire.


It is possible that the reason for Mr. Barnby Smith’s captive pheasants

taking no notice of the firing and bomb explosions may be put down to the fact

that these birds were living under artificial conditions which would tend to lower

their vitality and numb their nerves. * My own experience is that pheasants are

not alone in expressing nervous shock from gun-fire, as I have noticed that

blackbirds “scold” when the pheasants “crow” and my tame white-fronted

geese also give voice, but I have noted no uneasiness amongst my large stock of

high-class pedigree game bantams and pigeons.


Yours, etc.,


Challen Hall, Silverdale, FRED. SMALLEY, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


near Carnforth , Lancs.



THE OWL PARROT.


Sir, —In his very interesting article on Stringops in the last number of

the “Avicultural Magazine” Dr. Graham Renshaw says that “the longest

duration of life recorded in captivity is two years.” It may be worth while

therefore to record the fact that the last specimen owned by the Zoological

Society of London was received on June 10th, 1911, and died on October 3rd,

1915. I understand that, prior to its arrival in London, it had lived some time

in captivity in New Zealand. D. SETH-SMITH.



* Might it not be attributed to the birds having gained more confidence

with knowledge of protection ?—Ed.



