468 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



73. Flower on the Zoological Gardens at Giza. 



[Government of Egypt, Public Works Department. Zoological Gardens, 

 Giza, near Cairo. Report for the Year 1903. By Stanley S. Flower, 

 Director. Cairo, 1904.] 



Capt. Stanley Flower's report on the beautiful gardens 

 under his care at Giza gives a favourable account of their 

 progress and increase in popularity during the past year. 

 Examples of 201 species of birds have been exhibited since 

 October 1898, among which we see the names of such inter- 

 esting forms as Corvus umbrinus, Chrysotis rliodocephala, 

 Buteo ferox, and Balceniceps rex. No less than 71 species 

 have been observed as visiting these well-planted gardens " of 

 their own accord" during the same period. Among these 

 are such attractive birds as A'edon galactodes, Emberiza ccesia, 

 Ceryle rudis, and (Edicnemus scolopax. 



74>. Fulton on the Habits of the Long-tailed Cuckoo of New 

 Zealand. 



[The Long-tailed Cuckoo. Abstract of a paper read by Dr. It. Fulton 

 before Section D, Biology, at the Science Conference in Dunedin, 

 January 11th, 1904.] 



This paper contains a very complete and interesting 

 account of the habits of the Long-tailed Cuckoo of New 

 Zealand (Urodynamis taiteusis), which were not well known 

 to Sir Walter Buller when he wrote the second edition of 

 his f History of the Birds of New Zealand ' in 1888. Like 

 our Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), the bird appears to be 

 thoroughly parasitic. It is found in most of the island- 

 groups of the Pacific, but visits New Zealand in the 

 Antarctic summer for breeding purposes, and deposits its 

 eggs in the nests of various small Passerine birds, who save 

 it the trouble of incubation and devote unceasing attention 

 to the young when they are batched. Dr. Fulton gives 

 a list of sixteen species which are known, with more or 

 less certainty, to be the foster-parents of Urodynamis. 



The author also discusses the reasons which may have 

 given rise to this remarkable habit in Cuckoos and other 

 birds. 



