0?i my Visit to Australia.



45



resemble other pigeons ; true they leave the nest and run actively

at an early age, but this is to be expected in the young of such a

terrestrial species. It would be very unsafe for the young to

remain helpless on the ground for a lengthy period. Though

the young leave the nest so small they take a long time, over two

months, to attain full growth. The unexpected points were the

discovery of a second egg tooth, which is retained apparently till

it becomes worn away, and the fact that the young begin to

inoult before the first plumage is complete, so that by the time

the bird has reached its full size it has also attained its adult

plumage. I have not heard of any young ones being hatched in

this country since those whose fate we were reminded of last

year. In P.Z.S., 1892, p. 77, we read that one of the young

“about fourteen days old . . . was actually killed by falling

from a slight elevation.” This would be about the time the

young bird would naturally wish to leave its nest, but from the

description of the young I do not think they were so strong as

mine, doubtless owing to their having been hatched under Bar¬

bary Doves. Young were reared in Melbourne Zoo in 1904.



NOTES ON MY VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.


By David Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


[Continued from page 313, Vol. VI).


O11 January 22nd I had the pleasure of meeting our member

Mr. C. B. Horsbrugh at Perth, who was on his way to New

Guinea in quest of living Birds of Paradise. Much to my regret

he had been unable to book his passage in time to travel out to

Australia with me, and had followed by the next mail-steamer.

We went round the Perth Zoo together in company with Mr.

L. Le Souef, and in the afternoon went to Fremantle where Mr.

Horsbrugh rejoined his ship and Mr. Le Souef and I sought out

Mr. Wallace’s collection of birds, etc., which he had been getting

together to take home. After some trouble we discovered him

in a small house in a back street. Two rooms of the house were

occupied with numerous large cages containing a wonderful col¬

lection of Parrakeets and Finches, Kingfishers, Honeyeaters and

Doves ; in the back premises were Wallabies and Lizards, while



