314 MantelVs Aperyx at the Zoological Gardens.


pairs, and in another four or five ; the nests being situated quite

close to each other, near the tops of the rods, in a fork, eight or

ten feet from the ground ; and, when in this situation, are always

lined, and in many cases very largely composed of the vegetable

down of the willow, beautifully neat compact little structures ;

often a few hairs and feathers supplement the lining. As a rule

the nests are not far from water, but this is not always the case,

as I have found it twice this year on Maidenhead thicket—once

in a hawthorn, and once in a furze bush, three feet from the

ground—the nearest water being quite a mile off. They are also

breeding in some of the nursery gardens near here, where I have

frequently seen and heard the birds. The number of eggs

varies from six to three, but I have only once found six, five or

four being the usual number. It is a very tame and engaging

bird, and even when you approach its nest sits on still, and if

frightened off only goes a short distance away.


Undoubtedly this is a Redpoll year in the Southern

Counties, and it will be of interest to know if any of your

correspondents living in the South have observed the birds in

their neighbourhoods.


iS is is iS iS


Since writing the above I have discovered more Redpolls’

nests, and at the present moment three broods are hatched or

are hatching out in a place where they are not likely to be

disturbed, from its being very inaccessible. These may be

second broods, as the birds undoubtedly have two, and Mr.

Howard Saunders states in his Manual, I believe, that the

young have been found in the nest as late as September.



MANTELL'S APTERYX AT THE ZOOLOGICAL

GARDENS.


The arrival at the Zoological Gardens of no less than

eleven living examples of the curious flightless Kiwi of New

Zealand is a very important and interesting event, and in all

probability this is the largest number ever received at one time

by any public institution in Europe.


The Kiwi was first described by Shaw in 1813 from a

specimen obtained by Captain Barclay on the Southern Coasts of



