Correspondence



157



Two individuals of Australian Barn Owl ( Strix delicatvla) in

the Gardens in former years varied on throat, breast, and abdominal

region, one bird being white on those parts with no spots, the other

bird white with grey spots, both being of same size and presumably

fully adults, living in same cage. Might I suggest that any member

who knows any one of above species in the wild state should forward

any facts known to them to the Magazine for publication ?



CORRESPONDENCE


REMARKS AND QUERIES ABOUT IvAGU


Sirs, —In the Avicultural Magazine of 1920 some remarks, mostly

about the voice of this bird, Rhinochaetus jubatus, were printed on p. 182,

they being founded on an individual which had lived in the London

Gardens since November, 1906. It seems worth adding now that

when in the Gardens in June, 1921, I was told that the bird had recently

died, which brings its life in captivity to 14.1 years. Can anyone give

a longer-known-life in a captive bird ?


When the note referred to was written by me I was not aware

that Mr. Heumann was breeding this aberrant offshoot of the Crane

group at his home in New South Wales, as mentioned by Mr. Seth-

Smith on p. 28 of the 1921 volume ; and as my note was, in addition

to recording voice, also intended to draw information from other people,

might I ask Mr. Heumann for some facts about his breeding pair ?


Is only one egg laid ? Is any nest made, or the egg laid on grass

only ? What is the colour and size of it ? Do both male and female

incubate ; and what is the period of incubation ? Is the newly

hatched bird downy, or is it naked ?


As Mr. Heumann has, so I was informed by a person who read my

note, already written about these birds, my queries may bring some

repetition of statements made in former volumes of the Avicultural

about his birds.


But even if so, it does not seem to me the repetition would be

superfluous, because new members are being added to the Society

(and many more will, I hope, join !), some of whom at least would also

be interested in the replies to above questions ; and also because it is



