48 Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.


of a few bits of grass and leaves, was formed in the long grass : three

glossy purple eggs were laid, and the bird (presumably the male, for

in this group the male alone sits) sat steadily for three weeks, all

three eggs hatching.


The young birds were of a pale buffish-brown colour with

three dark brown stripes on the head. The down with which they

were clothed was very long and hair-like, giving the chick the

appearance of being covered with spines. They appeared to be some¬

what weak, and we discovered that the parent bird seemed to take

very little interest in them, and they would undoubtedly have died

had we not taken them and placed them with a bantam, which took

to them at once and successfully reared them. Subsequently a

second brood of two was reared in the same way.


In the summer we liberated seven Roseate Cockatoos in the

hope that they would remain in the Gardens. For a time they did

so, and the flight of this flock as they circled about over the trees

was well worth a special visit to London to see. They stayed about

in the trees during the heat of the day, but about sunset, with loud

cries, they flew high into the air and took long flights round the

Park. One by one, however, they disappeared. They were some¬

what tame, and, I have no doubt, allowed themselves to be captured

by some unscrupulous person or persons who, I suppose, managed

to get a few shillings each for them.


In one of the aviaries in the Small Bird House a pair of

Spot-billed Toucanets (Seleniclera maculirostris ) have their abode,

and as they seemed very friendly towards one another, we fixed

them up a nesting log, of the type that one uses for Parrakeets.

It was at once appropriated by them, and after a short time it was

noticed that the hen spent a good deal of her time inside. This

went on for some time, and then, when she came out, the cock took

her place. We guessed that the hen had laid, and when, one day

the keeper noticed both birds were out, he climbed up and peeped in,

and there, sure enough, were two white glossy eggs.


About four weeks, as we judged, after the eggs had been first

laid, it was noticed that both birds had left the nest and ceased to

visit it, and an inspection revealed the fact that this was empty.



