on desirable Waders and Water Birds.



223



next stated been otherwise—is the Red-necked Phalarope. Yet I

doubt if at this time more than one member of the Society has any

of them in captivity. When once established they do very well, and

are delightfully tame. A photographer will compass sea and land to

get a few photos of Phalaropes, when with a little more trouble he

might view perfectly healthy Phalaropes, at a yard or two distant,

all the year round.


Again, the Editor inserted in the February number of

the Magazine a note asking any member of the Society who

had practical experience of keeping Grebe in captivity to com¬

municate with me. I have not had a single communication

of any description in answer to the enquiry, which seems

to point to the fact that no one takes an interest in these

birds. I am sorry, as I wanted in the interests of aviculture

to get some Slavonian Grebe for the Zoo, or for some suitable

member of the Society who has a place for these birds. [I shall

be delighted to try them on my moat, which has plenty of small

dace in it. And I have a beautiful place for Phalaropes, if I could

only obtain them.—-E d.] Of course the real trouble is how to

manage them and feed them on the voyage to England. When

swimming with their young round them in their native haunts

they look to me very attractive birds.


To mention another Northern bird ; it has often occurred to

me that it would be delightful to see a Great Northern Diver or two

swimming at the Zoo. Mr. Beebe once reared one from an egg, and

a captive bird has been kept in the New York Aquarium.


Two years ago I had some nests watched in Iceland, and got

eight eggs over here for incubation. The experiment was a failure,

probably owing to the eggs being shaken in transit. They were

•certainly nearly all fresh. There seems no reason, however, why

another attempt should not be more successful if anyone is

sufficiently interested in Great Northern Divers to make further

attempts.


The last bird I should like to mention is not, strictly

speaking, a Northern bird, though it used to visit the British Isles.

I refer to the Black-winged Stilt. If anyone is keeping this bird I

hope he will tell particulars to the other members of the Society-



