Bird Notes from the Zoological. Garde?is.



255



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.



Although there is nothing very special to report this

mouth, numbers of the birds are nesting, and there is every

prospect of the present season being a very good one as regards

the number of young birds reared.


The female Darwin’s Rhea, which was the mother of two

hybrid Rheas which were hatched but not reared last year, has

laid several eggs, her mate this year being a fine male of her own

species belonging to the President of the Society. These eggs

are in an incubator, and it is to be hoped that, in the event of

their hatching, those in charge will be more successful in rear¬

ing the chicks than was the case last year.


In the Eastern Pheasantry a pair of Wonga-wonga Pigeons

have hatched two young ones which are doing well, and another

pair of squabs have been bred from a male Turtur tranquebarica

and female hybrid T. tranquebarica x T. risoria. The Black

Vultures, in the old Argus Pheasantry, have one egg on the

ground upon which, on our last visit, the female was sitting.


The Crested Screamers, which bred last year for the first

time in Europe, nested early this year, two eggs being laid and

one chick hatched, which unfortunately only survived one day.

They are now nesting again, and with warmer weather there

should be a good prospect of success with the second clutch.


The New Garden Guide % has now been issued, and should

be obtained by all who take an interest in this fascinating

corner of Regent’s Park. It is a most instructive little book,

and by a careful perusal of its pages one may obtain a very fair

general knowledge of the various groups, families etc. of the

animal kingdom. The illustrations, which are liberally dis¬

tributed through its pages, and one of which we reproduce here,

are all from photographs, and are excellent.



* Illustrated Official Guide to the London Zoological Society's Gardens in Regents Park.

By P. Chalmers Mitchell, M.A., D.Sc. The Zoological Society, 3, Hanover Square,

W. Price 6d. Post free 7fd.



