228



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.


hindrance to successful breeding but detrimental to the health and

happiness of your birds.


If you are troubled with egg binding, get a small hypodermic syringe,

such as I have here, and which can be purchased at any chemist’s for 2/6, and

fill it with about 5 drops of castor oil, and after warming the nozzle of same

insert it in the bird’s vent and inject the oil, and, in addition, put one drop

direct into the bird’s beak and apply a hot sponge to the vent outside and

this will be found to give immediate relief.


For birds down in condition and requiring building up, I have found

nothing better than half-a-teaspoonful of Allen & Hanbury’s “Hyno-

phosphates ” mixed with their drinking water, to be given daily for about a

fortnight.



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.



The renovation of, and additions to the Parrot house are

nearing completion, and the Parrots are now back in their

old quarters. So much has been done to the old house that it

seems almost a pity that, while they were about it, the Council

did not see their way to erect an entirely new building of some¬

what larger dimensions. The roof has been entirely renewed,

and a good system of ventilation has been instituted, but we are

inclined to think that the great addition of glass in the roof is a

mistake, for as a rule, birds do not do well under much glass ; the

temperature is too variable, and the direct rays of the sun are

disliked by almost all Parrots, which, in a wild state remain

concealed amongst the foliage during the heat of the day.


The addition of a range of small aviaries on the south side

of this house is an immense improvement, and it is hoped that

some of the Parrakeets will breed in these.


A fine pair of Pytelia (or Zonogastris ) citerior, a rare form

of P. melba, have been received on deposit, and placed in the

Insect House.


A great many of the birds are now nesting. On our last

visit a pair of Whistling Thrushes, one of which is of the ordinary

blue species (,Myiophoneus ccemileus') and the other Temmiuck’s

(M. temmincki ) were nesting ; Barn Owls, Cape Eagle-Owls, and

Griffon Vultures, not to mention several kinds of Doves, were

sitting.


A fine new aviary is being erected on the site of the old



