Nesting Notes from the Zoological Gardens. 299


are too cold and they succumb. This happened last year and again

this year with the first brood. There is now a second brood of two,

and if the weather should continue to be hot we may perhaps have

better success. A few young Diuca finches have been reared, and in

one compartment is a brood of twelve Common partridges, hatched

by a silkie hen from eggs sent to us. These are now independent of

their foster parent.


In the Southern Aviary which is given up to gulls and

other such robbers, the Great Black-backed gulls have bred

well, seven young birds being reared by four pairs. Each pair keeps

to its own territory and a battle royal takes place if there is any

trespassing. Should a young chick have the misfortune to cross the

boundary it is most likely to be swallowed whole.


The White Storks generally breed here and this yea nave

successfully reared one young bii'd, now nearly as large a

parents.


We had great hopes at one time of breeding from the fine

pair of James’ Manucode (Phonygama keraudreni) which occupies a

compartment of the outdoor cages of the Small Bird House. A nest

was built amongst some thick branches fastened up at the back of

the shelter shed. In the wild state climbing tendrils are employed

but we found the best substitute to be pieces of an old rush mat

The hen commenced to sit, and continued to sit, and as week succeed¬

ed week our expectations of young birds—the first nestling Paradise

birds ever seen in Europe—produced the greatest excitement. But

alas, one day when both birds were outside, the keeper procured a

ladder and investigated, with the result that an empty nest was dis¬

covered ! The bird continued to sit in it for some time after this,

and then laid an egg, which was discovered only a few days ago, and

may yet produce a young Manucode if it does not disappear in the

same way as those which the behaviour of the hen-bird led us to

suppose were there before.


We find it is best to collect all the eggs laid in the Waterfowl

enclosures and to incubate them under hens, as in a mixed collection


* On August 12th, the hen bird was seen to leave the nest with a newly-

hatched nestling in her mouth, to fly with it to the outer compartment where

the cock bird seized and swallowed it-—D. S.-S.



