76 COUNTRY RAMBLES 



Toucan, Guiana possesses a wonderful bill; White-crested and 

 Yellow-billed Touracons; Hunting Crow from India a mingling of 

 delicate green, blue, red, and black, dark eye stripe very prominent, 

 yellow-red bill and feet, and possessing a very curious flight, a sort of 

 hop, skip and a jump; Brazilian Hang-nest a very lovely bird; and 

 the Cardinal Eclectus, Amboyna, is all I can mention, and feel that I 

 have done but poor justice to a unique collection deserving far greater 

 attention. 



I must only mention casually in passing the Indian Rhinoceros, 

 Hairy-eared Rhinoceros, African and Indian Elephants, Springbok, 

 Loder's Gazelle, Red-fronted Gazelle, Senegal; Arabian Gazelle, 

 Harnessed Antelope, Pleasant Antelope (looked the reserve of 

 pleasant), Selous' Antelope (a fine animal), Hippopotamus (born in 

 the Menagerie in 1872), two fine Giraffes (all neck and legs); Brazilian 

 Tapir, Somali Wild Ass (no shoulder stripes, only leg marks). 

 Burchell's, Common, and Grevy's Zebras. The Zebra collection is a 

 wonderful one, and the last- named is from Southern Abyssinia, 

 and is the largest of any exhibited. It has never been on view in 

 England previously. The Kiang, from Tibet; Asiatic Wild Ass, 

 South-west Asia; the Beaver Pond, the Deer Sheds, some Barbary 

 Doves, and Brush Turkeys, and. farther on, the Wombats, com- 

 pleted my tour. I had not time to visit the Small Mammals House, 

 nor the Moose yard, but what I have written covers most of the 

 collection, and I hope may prove useful and interesting to those of 

 my readers who have not had the good fortune to visit this wonderful 

 collection, which is, in spite of statements to the contrary, a credit 

 to those responsible for its control 



7th. Lilac and Hawthorn well out. Rather cold to-day, but 

 good deal of sunshine; a little rain. The Rooks are very busy now,, 

 and they seem to be increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds; in 

 fact a great many birds, such as Thrushes and Blackbirds, Hedge 

 Sparrows, Robins, Starlings, Jackdaws, Chaffinches, three or four of 

 the Titmice, Common Wren, and Ring Doves, seem to be more 

 plentiful this last two or three years. Owls, too, are not so uncommon 

 as is generally supposed. The Lambs are getting strong now. I 

 noticed several Fir plantations today; I think these improve the 

 landscape, and many birds love to nest, and roost in them. Nice lot 

 of Red Daisies out in the garden. In garden to-day I found a Mille- 

 pede (Julus terrestris\ better known perhaps as the False Wireworm. 

 It feeds on the rootage of various plants. Also found chrysalis of the 

 Heart and Dart Moth, and larva of the Dart Moth. A golden sunset 

 at 6.30 p.m. 



