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Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



I hope the above notes will be of some use to those who,

like myself, have had no experience of aviary-building, and if I

have not made myself clear on any point, I will be glad to

answer questions of persons in difficulty. I should like very

much to have an aviary like the Western Aviary at the Zoological

Gardens, London, where the mixed out-of-door collection is

kept; the shelter being all behind with about half-a-dozen good

flights in front, this seems an ideal plan for an unheated aviary.


I should be very glad of information about the nesting of

Californian Quails. Is it possible to get them to sit, and would

they live peaceably with other species of Quail ?



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.


By The Curator.


In the new Summer Aviary the birds have so far nested

well. Tinamous, both Rufous and Martineta, have laid very

freely and we have several young birds. We have taken the

first clutches of eggs and are rearing the chicks tinder hens.

They require a considerable amount of animal food, but seem

easy enough to rear in this way. They resemble their parents

very closely when quite young, the young Martinetas having a

very well developed crest on the head. The eggs are most

beautiful objects with a surface like glazed china, those of the

Rufous Tinamou being a rich chocolate colour, while those of

the Martineta are grass green.


Bronze-winged Pigeons have reared one young one and

are sitting again, while a pair of White-fronted Jamaican Doves

have reared a fine pair of young birds. A pair of South American

Scaly Doves are sitting.


The most important event in this aviary, however, is

the nesting of the Himalayan White-throated Ground Thrushes

(Geocichla cyanonotus'). The nest, much like that of a Blackbird,

built of hay and roots, was placed in a privet-bush about four

feet from the ground. Two eggs, also very much like those of a

Blackbird, were laid, the young being hatched and successfully

reared. When they left the nest they were dark brown in colour



