Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



153



Yol. XXV., p. 176, 1909, under the name P. cucullatus , giving as

the vernacular, Black-hooded Parrakeet.


After the birds came to Europe Mr. Blaauw, the well-known

aviculturist, bought some ; and Mr. Van Oort examining them, also

considered them new, knowing nothing of North’s action, and re¬

named the form P. chrysopterygius hlaauwi in the Notes Leyden

Mus., Yol. XXXII., p. 71, 1910.


In the preparation of my Reference List of the Birds of Aus¬

tralia (Nov. Zool., Yol. XVIII., 1912) it was necessary to examine

and compare all the types available. It was obvious that North’s bird

was the same as Van Oort’s, and Mr. \ T an Oort kindly lent me his

type, which was carefully compared by me with Dr. Collett’s type

and found absolutely identical. Consequently the three names all

refer to the same bird, and as Dr. Collett’s is the earliest proposed it

must be used. As regards the vernacular, however, the well-known

name of Hooded Parrakeet can be retained.


Therefore, Psephotus dissimilis (Collett) can he still called the

Hooded Parrakeet, though North’s name, P. cucullatus, must he

dropped, as well as Van Oort’s P. c. hlaauwi.


[We are glad to have this matter made clear. Museum naturalists

often speak as if all points were sure when once the skin of a bird is in the

hand, and are inclined to be over-sceptical with regard to one in the hush.

Aviculturists may comfort themselves they are not the only ones at fault !


—ED.]



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL

GARDENS.


Last month I reported that the pair of Kolbe’s Vultures,

which occupy the large central aviary in the range devoted to the

Birds of Prey, were busily incubating their single egg. Incubation

commenced on December 20th last, the birds taking turns in the

duty of sitting. On February 12th, fifty-four days later, when

we had almost given up all hope of a result, the egg hatched,

revealing a chick covered with browish-white down, with a soft beak

shaped exactly as in the adults. Two days later, however, both birds

were seen off the nest, and a search being made for the chick, only

its head and neck were found, its body having been eaten, apparently



