Zoo Notes Za7 
Tus beautiful bird (Hypotenidia philip- 
pensis) takes in Australia 
the place of our land-rail 
(Crex crex), which it much 
resembles in habits. It is also of 
about the same size, but has a longer 
bill and is very much more beautifully 
coloured ; even the photograph displays 
the zebra-like markings of black and 
white on the under-surface and the 
white spotting of the upper, while 
there are contrasts of cinnamon, 
slate and olive of which the camera 
takes no account. This vail has 
a very wide range; it is found 
not only in Australia, but in New 
Zealand and the islands of the Pacific, 
and in the other direction, west- 
wards, as far as the Philippines and 
Celebes. like the 
rails generally, it 
bears captivity well 
and makes a nice 
aviary bird; although 
not an aquatic species, 
it likes its bath, and, 
as the photograph 
shows, is not averse 
to getting its feet 
wet. 
Australian 
Rail. 
Photos by 
W. P. Dando, F.Z.S. 
MANCHURIAN CRANE. 
RATL. 
OF all the Cranes this 
fine spe- 
Manchurian _.-. 
Crane cles (Grus 
japonen- 
sis) is probably the 
most familiar to the 
public in general, since 
the Japanese have 
long fully appreciated 
its beauty and con- 
stantly introduce its form mto their 
art. It certaily merits this distinction, 
for it is not only one of the largest 
species and inferior to none in grace 
of form, but the contrast of the white 
hue of the general plumage and the 
glossy black “tertiary” plumes of the 
wings is unusually striking. The Man- 
churian Crane is an ideal park or 
menagerie bird; it is perfectly hardy 
and bears our winter well out-of-doors, 
while it is more ready than any other 
crane to breed in captivity. As with 
cranes generally, only two eggs are 
laid, and the young are clothed with a 
buff-coloured down; they are carefully 
tended by both parents. The Zoological 
Society’s specimens are now located in 
the fine new paddocks on the north 
