Vol. IV. 

 1905 



1 From Magazines, &c. 1 43 



north-eastern portion of the island — forests consisting mainly of 

 big timber." Mr. Littler would promote the interests of the 

 ornithology of his island were he to, say on his next holidays, 

 procure these birds for complete identification. The pleasure of 

 such a trip would be enhanced by the anticipation that the 

 reputed Tree-creepers may be new to science, if not sub-specific 

 to the mainland forms quoted by him. 



* * * 



The Brush Turkey. — Continuing his notes on this bird 

 having bred at the London Zoo, Mr. Bertling records that, 

 " being somewhat doubtful as to the cock's parental diligence," 

 he opened the mound to see how matters stood {Avi cultural 

 Magazine, August, 1904, p. 294 et seq.) The eggs were placed, 

 as recorded by other observers, larger end uppermost. He 

 found, after a few minutes' search, " a pretty chick, which 

 winked and blinked on having the bright sunshine suddenly 

 turned on to it." After describing the colouration Mr. Bertling 

 goes on to say something as to the habits of the young birds, 

 noticing that they have the same digging propensity as the 

 adults, and that " their pugnacity was evinced at an early 

 stage." After waiting a fortnight, and no further young appear- 

 ing, the " mound " was stripped, with most unsatisfactory 

 results. From Mr. Bertling's investigations he concludes " that 

 the young ones do not chip round the upper part of the egg 



when emerging but appear to give a violent 



wriggle and shatter the whole shell, although they still remain 

 encased in the inner membrane, which is not torn open for 

 some hours afterwards." The cock bird behaved peculiarly 

 when a dead chick was in the mound, and the description of 

 his ways and some other phases of Brush Turkey life will 

 furnish matter worth studying. 



* * * 



King or Least Swamp Quail. — The Avicultural Magazine 

 (September, 1904) contains an interesting article by Mr. D. 

 Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., on "Painted Quails" {Excalfactoria), which 

 he has kept and bred successfully in captivity in England. The 

 dark Australian form {E. lineata) has been separated as a sub- 

 species only from the Asiatic form {E. chinensis). Mr. Seth- 

 Smith is of opinion that the sub-specific separation is possibly 

 correct, because hybrids of the two species are perfectly fertile. 

 There is a marked difference between the young in down of the 

 two varieties. The predominating colour of young of the 

 typical E. chinensis is very dark brown. On the back are two 

 very distinct stripes of sandy-buff, running from nape to tail. 

 The head is sandy-buft", with two distinct stripes of very dark 

 brown ; throat pale yellow, and under parts yellowish. In 

 E. lineata there can just be traced the buf^sh lines, which, 

 however, are entirely absent on the back, which is wholly 

 blackish. The throat is yellow, as in E. chi)iensis, but the under 



