312



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



No. II. Pairs of Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Sikhim Siskins

(2 pairs), Jacarini Finches, Ruficaudas, Nonpareil Buntings,

Zebra Finches, etc. Several building.


No. III. Pairs of Hooded Siskins, Blue-breasted Waxbills (sitting),

Golden-breasted Waxbills (sitting), Gouldians, Fire-finches

(sitting), Three-coloured Parrot Finches (building).


No. IV. Pairs of Purple Sugar Birds, Yellow-winged Sugar Birds,

Rainbow Buntings, Chukar Partridges.


No. Y. contains one pair of Great Tits with five young a fortnight

old, of which more anon. They were wild-caught birds at the

end of April, and now in June, when let out of the aviary into

the garden, which I occasionally do, they follow me everywhere

begging for mealworms for their family. The young are grow¬

ing apace, and are now fourteen days old, so I shall soon be

obliged to close the aviary door unless I am to find my chicks

flown. I fear that, notwithstanding their tameness, nothing

would bring the old birds back to their home once they had

made off with their precious charge.



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL

GARDENS.


I don’t know how the majority of aviculturists have done

this year, but reports from several quarters seem to show that the

season has not been at all a good one for breeding. At the Zoologi¬

cal Gardens we have had an extraordinary number of infertile eggs,

in many cases from birds that have before proved themselves to be

good breeders. A full-winged wigeon duck nests every year in one

of the flower beds near the Three-island pond, generally bringing off

a large brood of seven or nine. This year she sat well on nine eggs,

but succeeded in hatching only two. A Paradise duck (Tadorna

variegata ) generally produces a good brood, but this year all her eggs

except one proved clear. The pair of White - throated Ground

Thrushes which reared three young birds last year, have so far had

two nests, but the eggs have all been infertile. Now she is sitting

again, and we hope for better success.



