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Mr. Hubert D. Astley,



young ducks do not stand a chance. So we look for eggs on the

islands about every fortnight. During one search we discovered a

nest containing five large eggs which we knew must belong to a pair

of the beautiful and rare Andean geese which share the Western

Duck enclosure with numerous smaller companions. These eggs

were placed under a hen which succeeded in hatching two, one other

containing a dead chick and the remaining two being clear. The

nestling is white with a black stripe from the top of the head to the

tail, crossed by another passing down the wings, black patches on the

thighs and small black spots on the ear-coverts.


The two goslings have grown well, but one has been rather a

weakling from the first.


A fair number of young ducks such as Carolina, Spotbill and

Andaman Teal have been reared, and we have some nice young

Burmese peafowl, North American wild Turkeys and Lineated Kaleege

Pheasants.



THE BLACK REDSTART AND ITS

BREEDING HAUNTS.


Phosnicurus titys.


By Hubert D. Astlev.


It is a good many years since I found a nest of the Black

Redstart, but I remember the details of the event as if it were

yesterday.


This charming little bird, which is an autumnal and winter

visitor to England, is easily distinguished from the better known

redstart, which arrives for the summer in April, by having the

crown and rump dark bluish slate-grey, the rest of the upper parts,

and the sides of the head and under parts, deep velvet black, the

abdomen and hinder flanks however are slate-grey, and the under

tail coverts pale rust-red. The tail and upper tail-coverts are a rich

chestnut-red, except for the two middle feathers which are black,

but when flying the chestnut-red colour of the tail is very con¬

spicuous. Hence its name, the Black Redstart, to distinguish it

from the other one. If we consult The Century Dictionary and



