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C. Barnby Smith—Notes from British Columbia



NOTES FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA


Some of our Avicultural Society friends may be interested to hear

that in this valley (about 1,200 feet high and 200 miles inland from

Vancouver) I have recently had pointed out to me a Waxwing’s nest

consisting (except for small lining) entirely of pieces of fairly thick

string. The nest was in the fork of an apple-tree, and just looked like

an old ball of string. The string used consisted of pieces, each about

2 feet long, which the orchard-owner had used for tying paper bands

on his apple-trees, and had cut off last March and left lying on the

ground. He has watched the nest with great interest.


It is encouraging to learn that the insect-eating birds here have

increased enormously since the apple orchards were planted.


The Mountain Blue Birds, even at this season, are very pretty, while

Hairy, Downy, and other Woodpeckers are surprisingly common. I

am told that the Ruby-throated Humming-birds are a most magnificent

sight when the apple-trees are in full blossom. I had no idea they would

come so far north. A delightful little Duck called “ Butter-ball ”

(? Bufiie-head) is fairly plentiful on the lakes.


C. Barnby Smith.


Walhachin, B.C.


October 1, 1920.



STRAY NOTES


The past summer seems to have been a very poor one for the breeding

of foreign birds; cold and dull weather has prevailed, and this probably

accounts to a great extent for the lack of satisfactory results. In the

Zoological Gardens several species that normally breed have failed to

do so this year. I hope that members will give their experiences.


One gratifying surprise at the Zoo was the breeding of a pair of

rare Francolins in the Western Aviary. Mr. Maurice Portal presented

to the Society a pair of the rare Francolinus spilog aster, from North-

East Africa. The species had never before been represented in the

collection, and the pair was placed in one of the back compartments

of the central portion of the aviary. When they had been there for no



