§3



valuable for comparison, but what little there is tends to

confirm my original opinion that the wings of male birds

have longer primaries than those of female birds, in order to

give them an advantage in capturing their mates.


Probably few of our members have any idea what a pretty

collection a series of birds’ wings makes when perfect and

neatly mounted on card. The wings of birds when carefully

opened are quite as beautiful as those of butterflies, and if both

sexes of many species, mounted to an even level, could be

critically compared, I am absolutely certain that they would

afford just as well-defined sexual differences as the wings of

butterflies do.


I must confess that my examination of the collection of

wings which I have accumulated has disappointed me ; not

because the differences do not exist, but because I find myself in

a position to state the fact in so few instances, owing to the

almost universally unisexual character of my material.



ZOO NOTES.


By J. Tewis Bonhote.


IV.—DECEMBER.


Dec. 2 4 Bewick Swans— Cygnus bewicki





N. Europe.



Duck Ponds.





I White bellied Sea Eagle— Halicetus leucogaster







Tasmania.



Vulture Aviary



4



2 Common .Scoters— CEdemia nigra







British Islands.



Duck Ponds.





I Tufted Duck— Fuligula cristata







Europe.



,,



5



2 Brown’s Parrakeets— Platycetcus browni







N. Australia.



Parrot House.





I Partridge— Perdix cinerea Europe.



W. Aviary.



6



2 Hobbies— Falco subbuteo







Captured at Sea. Indian Ocean.



N. Aviary.



7



I Fieldfare— Turdas pilaris Brit. Isles.



W. Aviary.



8



I Bee Eater— Merops ap Ulster Europe.



Parrot House.



13



4 Common Sheldrakes— Tadorna cornuta







Europe.



Duck Ponds.



3 White Fronted Geese— A user albifrons



Europe. ,, „


There is a peculiar lack of arrivals this month, and the

few there are belong chiefly to the duck tribe, which is not

studied by many members. Most people are put off from keep¬

ing ducks by the idea that a large and commodious pond is a

sine qua non to successful duck keeping, but such is by no

means the case, all of the surface feeding species doing well with



