88



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



eviably be out of harmony with its environment, if the other is

protective. But if the black young of the Tufted Duck are simply

the result of a dominant variation in the direction of blackness, there

is no need to drag in the environment at all.


And if the environment does not matter, we can understand

why the Mallard, essentially a temperate-zone breeder, should have

young so like the Muscovy, which breeds in tropical swamps, where

the environment is not quite the same. Both of these are surface-

feeders, and it evidently does not matter how the young' are coloured.


(To be continued).



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL


GARDENS.


At this time of the year, as a rule, eery few birds of any

importance arrive at the Gardens, which is just as well considering

the uncertainty of the weather conditions ; and there is not much to

record, the past two months having been no exception to the general

rule.


In November, three examples of the Indian Pond Heron

(Arcleola grayi) and a Koel (Eudynamis honorata) were purchased,

neither having been exhibited for some years. Only once previously,

in fact, has the Pond Heron been represented in the collection,

namely in 1901, when Mr. E. W. Harper presented a pair. It is

quite a small heron, only some 18 inches in total length, and the

male is a beautiful bird when in breeding plumage, its head pale

yellowish brown, carrying a crest of long white feathers, the wings

and tail white, and the back feathers long and of a rich maroon

colour. One of the birds at the Gardens is in this summer plumage,

the other two in the brown plumage of the non-breeding season.


Mr. Finn tells us that the arrangement of colours of this

heron renders it very inconspicuous when on the ground, but most

conspicuous when the bird gets up, as it appears then to lie almost

a white bird. Its food consists of frogs, crabs and small fish and

insects, and it frequents even the smallest ponds, and is common in

nearly all parts of India.



