1868.] OF BIRDS IN THE society's GARDENS. 115 



females*. The number of eggs laid by two birds between the 20th of 

 May and the 24th of Septemljer was eighty-five ; out of this number, 

 upwards of twenty birds were hatched. Many more would have been 

 hatched had it not been for the parent birds, who were guilty of fre- 

 quently eating the eggs before the young birds had arrived at a per- 

 fect state. It was only by removing the eggs to the care of common 

 bens that we succeeded in hatching and rearing sixteen or eighteen 

 young birds. 



The male bird would take to the eggs when ten or twelve were 

 laid, and after about fifteen days' incubation was found breaking them 

 up and eating the contents, which in many instances were imper- 

 fectly developed young. In no instance did the female attempt to in- 

 cubate. The period of incubation was twenty-one days. The chick 

 (PI. XII. fig. 1) much resembles the young of a Rhea, and, from its 

 small size, looks and walks about like a httle Apteryx ; in fact the 

 keepers and others who sawTinamous for the first time thought they 

 were the young of the former bird. They fed upon worms, chopped 

 meat, boiled eggs, &c. 



Of the several species above mentioned some have bred in tlie 

 gardens many times ; but as a few of them have bred for the first time, 

 I beg leave to call particular attention to these. 



Perhaps the most valuable addition to the list is the breeding of the 

 Barred-tailed Pheasant (P/^ff*^■aw^/5?•eeresu). Itismost remarkable that 

 the birds arrived on the 22iid of June and commenced laying imme- 

 diately, and four birds were hatched on the 1 0th of August. Another 

 singular instance of late breeding occurred with a fine pair of imported 

 Versicolor Pheasants, which arrived from Japan on the 27th of July, 

 and three young birds were produced on the 20th of September. 

 These birds were considered useless and not likely to live ; but two 

 of them (hens) are now strong and healthy birds, having perfectly got 

 over their moult during the coldest part of this winter. 



Of the Crossoptilon or Eared Pheasant of Pallas we have reared 

 nine fine birds, the second hatch, having lost by the gapes the first 

 brood of seven. With reference to this species, I may remark that 

 these birds breed when only one year old. At the first moult the 

 young birds assume the adult plumage, the male and female being 

 exactly alike. They are remarkably hardy, and extremely tame. 



In concluding, I beg to call attention to my paper published in 

 the Society's ' Proceedings' for 1862, on the habits and affinities of 

 the Kagu {Rhinochelus jubatus). I there gave it as my opinion that 

 this bird was more nearly allied to Euri/pyga than to any other bird. 

 Again, in the Society's 'Proceedings' in January 1866, at pp. 77 

 and 78, I stated, after speaking of the egg and young bird : — 



" That Eiirypyga is less a Heron than has generally been thought 

 must now be admitted, and the spotted egg and downy young one 

 abundantly shows. I feel, however, certain that this bird has its 

 nearest ally in the Kagu {Rhinochetus jubatus), as already stated 

 (see P. Z. S. 1862, p. 218)." Having stated this so long since, it is 



* The eggs are laid ou the ground in a hollow formed by the male bird in the 

 sand or mould. No other nest is made. 



