132



Bird Notes from the Zoological Gardens.



the Appendix of his book Nests and Eggs of Australia?i Birds ,

Mr. A. J. Campbell writes “ The eggs are long ovals in shape;

texture fine ; surface without gloss; colour white, with the

faintest bluish tinge. A pair from a clutch of four, taken by Mr.

G. A. Keartland, in North-west Australia, measures in inches :

(i) -62 x -43, (2) -6 x -42. The nest was the usual flask-shaped

structure of grass, lined inside with finer material, and was

situated in a bush about ten feet from the ground. Date, end of

February, 1897.”


Munia pect oralis appears to be confined to the North-West

of Australia, and it is noteworthy that several species from this

out-of-the-way region have recently come into the English Bird-

market ; I may mention Ptilosclera ^ersicolor, Platycercus browni,

and Trichoglossus rubritorques.


The Pectoral Finch may be thus described : Adult male.

Upper parts lavender-grey, the wings rather more brownish and

spotted with white ; the tail blackish brown ; throat, cheeks and

ear coverts black with a purple sheen, and speckled with minute

white feathers, on the chest a band of black feathers, very

broadly tipped with white, so that the black is hardly visible ; a

line of pale vinaceous buff from the eyes runs down the side of

the neck ; underparts vinaceous buff, the sides being ornamented

with white spots, each spot being edged with a fine black line

above and below ; under tail-coverts more or less spotted with

white; bill lead-colour. The adult female resembles the male

except that the black on the breast shows more distinctly, the

white spots being much smaller. D. Seth-SmiTh.



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS,



The recorded additions to the Gardens for the month of

December 1903 are extremely few, though one is well worthy of

special notice.


Dec. 8th. 1 Tytler’s Parrakeet {Palceornis tytleri), . .Andaman Islands.

,, utli. 1 Panama Curassou {Craxpanamensis), ? .. Panama.


2 Scarlet Tanagers ( Ramphoccelus brasilins), ? ? Brazil.


„ 31st. 1 Water Rail (Rallus aquations), .. British Isles.



