252



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



but showed some grey on the back, and orange-coloured tips to

the breast-feathers. Moreover, the brown and white streaks on

the cheeks, so conspicuous a feature of the adults, is visible in

the young. The old birds have repaired the nest and laid two

more eggs. Grey-winged Ouzels have reared two young birds,

and Scarlet Tanagers have two strong young ones in a nest on

the ground amongst the long grass.


Californian Quails have laid and we have hatched half-a-

dozen chicks under a hen, which so far appear to be thriving

well.


In the Eastern Aviary, a young Brazilian Cariama, hatched

on June 21st, is doing well. Two young birds were hatched,

but the second was found dead in the nest the day after hatch¬

ing. It will be remembered that we reared one young bird

from the same pair of Cariamas last summer.


From our stock of North American Wild Turkeys, the

four hens of which were reared here last year, we have had a

good number of eggs this year. We sold over fort}' and retained

a few, from which we have hatched twelve chicks, quite enough

to rear on our limited space.


I was hoping we might this year have bred the rare

Orinoco Goose, of which we have two males and one female,

but the pair have not nested. The odd male was paired to a

female Egyptian Goose, which laid two eggs but would not sit.

These two eggs were put into an incubator, and one hatched

and was given in charge of a Silkie hen which is rearing the

little gosling well. It is much like a young Sheldrake at present,

and it will be interesting to see how it turns out. The Egyptian

Goose has just started to lay again.


From eggs very kindly sent us by a Fellow of the Zoo¬

logical Society we have hatched fourteen young Tufted Ducks*

which are growing well and spending most of their time diving

for food in one of the small ponds.


The most important arrivals for the month are contained

in the collection presented by the Government of the Federated

Malay States. Some rare Pheasants have come—a pair of Argus,

two pairs of Rufous-tailed Firebacks ( A counts erythrophthalmus ),

a Crested Peacock Pheasant ( Polyplectrcn bicalcaratuvi ), a pair



