

1 



most important contribution of seeds to tLe Arboretum 



were 449 packets, gatbered by Mr 



Mr 



W 



Acknowledgments are due to Canon Ellacombe, Miss Willmott, 

 tbe Hon. Vicar J Gibbs, and otber amateurs for tbeir willingness 

 to contribute wtat they can towards making tlie national 



com 



The following trees and shrubs have flowered in the Aboretum 

 Department for the first time: — 



Berberis brevipaniculata and B. suhcanlialata (China). 



Ceratostigma Willmotttana (China). 



Cotoneaster turbinata (China). 



Davidia involucrata (China). 



Deutzia comj)acta (China). 



Fatsia liorrida (North-West x\merica). 



Jasminum Beesianuin (China). 



Meliosma cuneifolia (China). 



Prunus 7a{crolepis var. SmitJui (Japan). 



Rhododendron nigro-punctaUnn (China). 



Waterfowl.— The number of eggs laid during the past year 

 has been greater perhaps than ever before^ but a large pro2:)or- 

 tion has proved to be infertile. Of the birds hatched out, how- 

 ever, the majority were reared. 



As usual, the greatest success was obtained with Carolina 

 ducks, of which 27 were reared, ducks being considerably in 



excess of drakes. Other ducks reared were as follows — cinnamon 



teal, 5; blue-winged teal, 1; Bahama pintails, 3; common 

 pochards, 3, as well as hybrid yellow-bills and tufted ducks. 



Four birds were reared as the result of a cross between a 

 yellow-bill drake and a Chiloe wigeon. The hybrids are hand- 

 some birds, with marked resemblance to the Chiloe wigeon, 

 though lacking a good deal of the brightness of colour of the 

 wigeon. Another hybrid — a cross between a maned gander and 

 a yellow-bill duck — was produced as last year. In this case the 

 hybrid is a distinct duck of a pale grey colour. 



For the first time in the history of the Gardens the black- 

 necked swans succeeded in rearing their offspring, and a hand- 

 some pair of young birds was the result. Two otlier events were 

 of particular*^ interest, namely, the rearing of a family of four 

 by the bar-headed geese, which were sent to the Gardens^ 

 from India in 1903, and have never before attempted to breed, 

 and the rearing of a white-fronted goose. The pair of white- 

 fronted geese were purchased in 1901, and this year, for the 

 first time, two eggs were laid, both of which were fertile, but 

 only one of tlie young birds was successfully reared. 



The Canadian, China and white geese all reared families. 



Of other birds, the storks failed to hatch out their eggs, having 

 been disturbed when nesting, and the Demoiselle cranes were 

 again unsuccessful with their solitary egg. Several peafowl 

 were also reared. 



C 2 



