Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



211



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL


GARDENS.


Some additions have recently been made to the fine collection

of pheasants at the Gardens. The Marquess of Tavistock presented

a pair of Horsfield’s Purple Kaleege Pheasants and a pair of Ander¬

son’s Kaleege was purchased, while Mr. W. 0. Dankwerts, K.C.

has presented a pair of Cabot’s Tragopans, and Mrs. Johnstone has

deposited two cock Mikado Pheasants.


A pair of Piping Guans ( Pipile cumanensis) from Trinidad,

presented by Mr. L. Leslie Moore, form a very interesting addition

to the collection, as they belong to a species which has not been

represented for a number of years. It is a very handsome species,

black in colour with a greenish gloss, with white on the top of the

head and wing-coverts ; a naked patch round the eyes, of greenish

blue, and a large blue wattle. Like most of the Guans, they are

quite tame, and we hope there may be a chance of their breeding.


Twenty-four hybrid Jung'le-fowl have been hatched, the male

parent being the fine green Javan Jungle-fowl (Galius varius), and

the female, the Bankiva or Red Jungle-fowl.


Some months ago five young Cassowaries were deposited by

the Hon. Walter Rothschild, and now that they are developing the

characteristic colouring on their heads two have been identified as

Casuarius keysseri, a species only very recently described by Mr.

Rothschild from German New Guinea.


A fine specimen of the Greenland Falcon, captured on board

ship in mid-Atlantic, has been presented to the Society by Lt.-Col.

Drage, R.H.G. and the Hon. John H. Ward, C.Y.O.


A very interesting collection of Indian birds has been pre¬

sented by Major Perreau, amongst which may be specially mentioned

a Rufous-headed Crow Tit (. Scceorhynchus ruficeps), a female Great

Niltava ( Niltava grandis ), two short'billed Minivets (Pericrocotus

brevirostris), four Rufous-necked Laughing - thrushes ( Dryonastes

ruficollis ) one Grey-sided Laughing-thrush ( D. ccerulatus) , two white¬

tailed Blue Robins (. Notodela leucura ) and an Ashy-headed Scimiter

Babbler ( Pomatorhinus schisticeps) . D. S-S.



