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February 8, 1842. 
William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
Some notes on the habits of the Horned Screamer (Palamedea 
cornuta, Linn.), by William Martin, Esq., Secretary to the Clifton 
Zoological Gardens, were read. , 
These notes were communicated by the President, the Earl of 
Derby, and are drawn up from observations made upon a specimen 
of the Palamedea living in the Clifton menagerie. 
“The Horned Screamer was presented to the Society early in 
June 1839, by Capt. Rees of Bristol. On its arrival in this country 
it was exceedingly thin and weak. It had been fed during the voy- 
age principally upon Indian corn, but had a little chopped boiled 
meat occasionally. ‘The weather being very mild, it was placed in 
a turfed aviary, used generally for pheasants, some water-cresses and 
other aquatic plants being procured; but it was soon evident that 
we had not discovered a proper substitute for its natural food. Think- 
ing one day that it manifested a desire to get at some roses which 
were trained upon the aviary, I gave it one of the flowers, which it 
ate eagerly. It was then thought, that, as it was so domesticated and 
familiar, the feathers of one wing should be cut, and the bird turned 
loose into the garden and watched, to see what plants it would pre- 
fer. The rose-trees were the favourite plants, the flowers, young 
shoots and leaves being eagerly eaten. Since this time it has al- 
ways been turned out every morning in mild weather to roam about 
the garden, and it is very fond of creeping up close to the gardeners, 
and watching them at work, although it does not appear to be from 
any desire to obtain worms or insects. It seldom wanders very far 
from its aviary, and in the afternoon is always found waiting to be 
let in. In winter it is allowed its liberty in the parrot aviary, which 
is heated by one of the Arnott stoves, and close to which it may 
generally be found. Even in moderately sharp weather, if it be dry, 
we find it better to let it go out for a short time; but .then, instead 
of creeping leisurely about, it bustles off to its favourite plants, and 
very soon returns ; but it will not bear confinement in a cage. At 
the present time /ettuce is its principal food, but it has also Indian 
corn, hemp-seed, sopped bread, and a little boiled sheep’s head. 
Small stones seem also necessary, and it is very fond of swallowing 
small pieces of the coal used in the stove, which is anthracite. 
Owing to the difficulty and expense of procuring a sufficient quan- 
tity of lettuce during the frost of last winter and that of the year 
before, the poor bird became very thin and weak, but quickly rallied 
upon again getting this food. In the summer, when on the lawns, 
it will eat grass, which it chips off with its beak in a very singular 
No. CIX.—Proceepines or THE Zootoericat Sociery, 
