266 Bird Notes from the Zoologieal Garde?is.


Cockatoos are also sitting. In the great Gulls’ aviary a pair of

Choughs are sitting on three eggs, and Black Kites are nesting.


The small paddocks by the Ape-house have been wired

over and now form very useful aviaries, being thickly planted

with shrubs and provided with shelters. In these Toucans,

Tiuamous, various Starlings (amongst them Mrs. Johnstone’s

pair of Sarcops colons'), and many species of small birds Lave

been liberated, and some interesting nesting results will doubt¬

less have to be recorded later; alread}', I understand, Green

Cardinals, Grey-necked Serins and others are nesting. In the

Waders’ aviary the birds look in extremely good condition.

The Screamers in the large Eastern aviary have been steadily

sitting for some five weeks as I write, and should have hatched

before these lines appear.


But perhaps the most interesting event at the Zoo. is the

arrival of several very rare birds, brought home by Mr. Meade-

Waldo who accompanied Lord Crawford in his recent voyage in

his yacht, the “ Valhalla.” These consist of three Red-crowned

Fruit-Pigeons (Alectroenas pulcherrimus) and three Thrush-like

Bulbuls fIxocinchla crassirostrisJ from the Seychelles, two Sacred

Ibises, four Hemprich’s Gulls f Barns hemprichi) from Aden,

three Assumption Island Rails (Dryolimnas gnla?'is) and other

birds of less importance. The Fruit-Pigeons, which have been

placed in the Insect-house are extremely beautiful and remark¬

able birds, the chief colour being very dark indigo blue, with a

wide collar of light grey which extends to the upper breast.

The top of the head is ornamented with bright red wattles, and

liair-like feathers of the same colour. These birds are perfectly

tame even when just caught. I may perhaps also mention the

remarkable Leaf-Insects which also came with this collection

and which should be inspected by every naturalist, although

strictly speaking they do not come within the province of this

Magazine. L. S-S.



