144



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



have too much of them. I may say that the Ruff and two

Reeves alone consume about a pint per month and show no

ill effects whatever. *



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.



The following species were exhibited for the first time in

the Zoological Gardens, between January and June. 1901, no less

than 21, out of the 27 recorded, having been presented by our

member, Mr. E. W. Harper, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.



1901.


Jan. 1st.



,, 4th.

Feb. 26th.

Mar. Stli.



2 Blue-winged Sivas, Siva cyanuroptera.f

1 Silver-eared Mesia, Mesia argentauris.


1 White-capped Redstart,


Chimarrhornis leucocephalus.

1 Rufous-bellied Niltava, Niltava sundara.%


1 Burmese Roller, Coracias affinis.


3 Painted .Snipes, Rhynchcea capenis.


3 Open-bills, Anastomus oscitans.


2 Fox Sparrows, Passerella iliaca.


1 Blue Whistling-Thrush, Myiophoneus cocruleus.

1 Jerdon’s Green Bulbul, Chloropsis jerdoni.



Himalayas.



Assam.


India.


N. America.


China.


India.



* Mr. G. C. Porter does not believe in “The Misuse of the Mealworm,” which is just

as he thinks fit, but his arguments to the contrary are not convincing. He tells us that his

Ruff, with many mealworms, did not moult satisfactorily,whereas mine, with very few or no

mealworms, always moulted out clean and tight. His birds did not attempt to breed,

whereas mine I found to be ready breeders, even in my comparatively small aviary.


I have invariably found the Reeve a very nice bird in the aviary, but every Ruff I

have had has been an unmitigated nuisance, owing to the way he constantly and unceas¬

ingly bullied the other ground birds, especially the smaller ones ; and X formed a very

poor opinion of his pluck.


It is a misfortune to have to cut the wing of a ground bird. It is better, if in an

aviary, to cut a little off the tip of both wings ; the birds then cannot hurt themselves,

but fly sufficiently to aerify their lungs ana dry their feathers in cold wet weather. After

the first moult, with Ruffs and most birds, it is not usually necessary again to cut the

wings, at any rate if only “tipped” in the first instance.—R.P.


+ Coloured plate and account of this species, by Mr. E. W. Harper, in Avic. Mag.,

Vol. VIII. p. 243.



i See article on the Rufous-bellied Niltava, in Avic. Mag., Vol. IX. p. 24.



