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Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo,



form, T. silvaiica, is known as “Torillo” or “ little bull.” The

note is absolutely unlike that of any other gallinaceous bird, so

far as I am aware.



[On the first of July I obtained a female of T. taigoor

and placed her in the large aviary with the male of this species,

and I have since, on several occasions, heard the call-note,

evidently uttered by the female only, as stated by Hume. It is

somewhat different to that of the other two species I have, being

more like a prolonged “ purr ; ” it might, in fact, be described as

between a “purr” ahd a “coo.”


The male Turnix tanki hatched all three eggs, either in

the night of July 8tli, or very early on the morning of the 9th,

the period having been, as before, about twelve days. One of the

chicks was weak from the first and died the day after birth ; but

the other two are progressing splendidly on a diet composed

chiefly of living ants’ cocoons and small gentles. When three

or four days old they were noticed to pick up small particles of

yolk of egg as well as preserved ants’ eggs occasionally, but they

cannot do without live food].



THE LATE RAINS AND THEIR EFFECT ON

BIRD LIFE.


By E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


All dwellers in the Southern and Eastern half of England

who are interested in ornithology and aviculture must have

suffered more or less directly from the disastrous rains of the

month ofjune. The almost unprecedented deluge that continued,

almost without intermission from the 9th to the 21st, will leave a

mark that it will take more than one good breeding season to

blot out. In addition to the heavy and continuous rains, we also

suffered from a phenomenally low temperature, culminating on

the 21st inst., when for forty-eight hours previously our maximum

temperature was 48°, our minimum 28°, and our rainfall 1*23.

The effect of this last spell of bad weather was to practically

annihilate the nests and young broods of many birds. I11 our



