Correspondence , Notes, etc.



177



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



THE HARDINESS OF GULES.


Sir, —With regard to Mr. Wiener’s remarks about Gulls at the Zoo.

needing some shelter, may I state that I have kept two Great Black-backs

for three years, and oue Herring Gull for two years, 011 a pond in my stable

yard, without shelter of any kind except for a wall round two sides of the

bank. They generally sleep on a little ladder from the bank to the water,

but when there is strong ice on their pond they sleep o?i the ice from choice,

and there are little hollows in the mornings where their breasts have

thawed the ice. They are extremely healthy and in perfect plumage, so it

does not seem that Gulls need much shelter. H. Wormaed.



THE RED-HEADED TROUPIAL


A bird purchased by Miss Peddie-Waddell having been identified as

Amblyrhamphus holosericens; the following answer was sent to a letter

asking for further particulars: —


Mr. Hudson says that the note of Amblyrhamphus holosericens re¬

sembles the long whistle of a diver; and later on he adds:—“The long

whistling note above mentioned is their only song, but it varies consider¬

ably, and often sounds as mellow and sweet as the whistle of the European

Blackbird.” Hudson described the songs of S. American birds rather

optimistically, so that it would not surprise me to hear that the note was

not by any means comparable with any of those uttered by our Blackbird.


I have only seen the Red-headed Troupial at bird-shows, never in

any dealer’s shop, although it is occasionally advertized for sale: in

Germany it is said to be not especially rare in the market. In 1876 a pair at

the Loudon Zoological Gardens is stated to have nested in a hollow branch,

but 110 eggs were laid.


I should not think that you paid too much for the bird, but I do not

know what price is usually asked for it: in Germany in 1887 the price was

20/- to 30/- for a single specimen.


I have not found the American Starlings dirty birds like those of the

Old World; they certainly are equally fond of bathing, but are less greedy

and consequently do not make their cages so foul.


I am afraid there is no recent book treating of birds generally except¬

ing my ‘Foreign Bird-Keeping’ (6/5 from ‘The Feathered World’ Office, 9,

Arundel Street, Strand), and many birds which were rare when I wrote

that book in 1899 and therefore were omitted, have become common

recently : still, if 3'ou do not possess it, the book would probably help you.


A. G. Butter.



