NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 81 



reports of the expedition were published in Vol. XVII, No. 4, 

 of the Bulletin, and in Zoologica, No. 18. 



A fine pair of North African ostriches, reared on one of 

 the Arizona farms, and a flock of six emus, were installed in 

 the Yak House and adjacent corrals, and so far have thriven sat- 

 isfactorily without the slightest artificial heat. We hope to be 

 able to establish these birds as permanent inmates of their pres- 

 ent roomy quarters. 



Fourteen small individual cages which were erected at the 

 sides of the passage from the Parrot Hall to the Glass Court 

 have proved an unqualified success. We are thus enabled to 

 exhibit many delicate or quarrelsome birds which otherwise we 

 should not be able to keep. The specimens shown include many 

 of the rarest in the collection. 



The most interesting arrival during the year is a kagu, 

 (Rhinochetus jubatus). This bird, which is a native of New 

 Caledonia, one of the small French islands lying east of Aus- 

 tralia, was purchased in Germany, and formed part of the last 

 shipment to be received from that country. Although curiously 

 nondescript in appearance, the kagu forms one of the sub-orders 

 of the cranes, and is allied to the sun-bitterns, trumpeters and 

 seriemas. 



A fine flock of black-footed or jackass penguins (Sphetiisciis 

 demersus) , the first we have had in several years, was placed 

 in the walrus enclosure, near the Reptile House. Shortly after 

 their arrival several of the birds were attacked by fungus 

 growths on the head, but under treatment soon recovered, and 

 all now are in the best of health. 



Previous to July, 1912, the Society never had exhibited a 

 blue goose (Chen caerulescens) . Since then, by a series of gifts, 

 purchases and exchanges, a flock of eight of these rare birds has 

 been gathered, and now forms one of the most striking features 

 of the Wild Fowl Pond. 



Other rarities added during the year include a Cape gannet 

 (Sula capensis) ; ringed teal {Nettion torqiiatum) , one of the 

 handsomest of the duck family; Australian stone plovers {Bur- 

 hinus magnirostris) , and red spur-fowl {Galliperdix spadicea) . 

 The last-named are curious little bantam-like partridges, the 

 male of which is armed with two or three spurs on each leg. 



A family new to the collection, the Meliphagidae, is repre- 

 sented by a yellow-tufted honey-eater (Lophoptilotis melanops) , 



