April,"] Witty 1 Naturalist on the Yorkshire Moors. 170 



1916 j 



autochromes. giving the Peacock Butterfly, the Puss Moth, 

 Emperor Moth, and others in their natural colours. Another 

 series showed the life-history of the wasp and the bee. — Ed. 

 Vict. Nat,] 



NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, 

 MELBOURNE. 



One of the most interesting exhibits in the Zoological Gardens 

 is the large Flight Aviary, and it is gratifying to find that the 

 purpose for which it was originally built has been quite realized, 

 for not only do the native birds thrive in it, but they also nest. 

 Its inhabitants include the Black-breasted Plover. Magpie-Lark 

 or Pied Grallina. White-plumed and Lunulated Honey-eaters, 

 Sericornis, Fantail, &c. The birds live for years, and the death 

 rate is very low. Lunulated, New Holland, White-plumed, and 

 Yellow-faced are the principal Honey-eaters, and they seem to 

 agree well together, and all crowd round their food. The Magpie- 

 Larks do not mix with them, and only take their food when the 

 others have left it. The pair of Yellow Robins are frequently 

 aggressive, and often chive the Honey-eaters away from their 

 food, but they soon return. There is only room for one pair of 

 these Robins in the aviary, for should any others be introduced 

 they are promptly attacked and killed, which shows that these 

 birds, like others of their kind, have their own particular locality, 

 and attack any of their own kind that stray into their precincts. 

 The Sericornis do well, but mostly keep in the thicker bushes 

 near the ground. Not only do the birds eat the food that is 

 supplied to them, but they also catch many flies and other 

 insects. The White-shafted Fantail is especially quick at this, 

 and is rarely still a minute. Sordid Wood-Swallows thrive, but 

 so far have not nested, but there are rather too many birds in 

 the aviary to allow of undisturbed nest-building. Many birds 

 have a weakness lor pulling other birds' nests to pieces, possibly 

 to build their own with. The Honey-eaters have proved charm- 

 ing and beautiful birds in the aviary, and quite as hardy as the 

 seed -eaters. 



The aviary, it may be mentioned, is fifty feet long by twenty- 

 five feet wide, and has a height of thirty feet. It generally 

 contains about a hundred individuals, and. as may be supposed, 

 is well provided with shelter in the way of large trees, shrubs, &c. 



Several wild native birds nest in the Gardens every year, 

 despite the large numbers of visitors to disturb them. I'm 

 instance, their are two pairs of magpies, three pairs of Black- 

 and-White Fantails, one pair of Laughing Kingfishers, two 

 pairs of Magpie-Larks, &c. About fifty Nankeen Herons continue 



