106 Correspondence.


PRIVET BERRIES AS FOOD FOR BIRDS.


Sir, — I have lately been to Southport, and made a special effort to

visit the Aviary of birds at Hesketh Park. I found them all in a very satis-

factory condition and looking well. The man in charge told me they lost

very few of the more delicate kind of birds last winter. They seem to feed

the birds a good deal on privet berries. Is this good food for them ? They

also give the birds the fat of meat. Wirj.lAM B. Gibbins.



AN OMNIVOROUS BUSTARD.


Sir, — I have just had the misfortune to lose by death a young pet

Bustard, and think perhaps the following particulars may be of interest.


I picked him up on September 9th, while on Safari, he was then about

three days old. For the following five days I was on the move, sometimes

on train, sometimes riding camel or mule, during which time he lived in

my coat pocket and was fed on egg and grasshoppers (forcibly given as he

would not pick up for himself). Once, while riding a camel, he fell out of

my pocket but seemed none the worse for it. The day I got back, he

started feeding himself, and from that time gave no trouble at all. He had

perfect liberty except at night, and became delightfully tame and followed

me about, calling plaintively all the while for " locusts." He would always

come to my whistle and usually ran out some distance to meet me when I

came in from my morning and afternoon rounds. Recently he has had a

companion, a baby Egyptian Goose. It was very funny to see the latter

toddling after the Bustard and snuggling up to him when he sat down

and at night creeping in under the Bustard's wing.


Ordinary food did not satisfy the Bustard, he was always trying to

swallow my bootlaces, and one day I saw him swallow a gramophone

needle. That made me nervous about him, I may now say with good cause.

Three days ago he seemed unhappy and was a bit lame. I picked him up

and in doing so felt something sharp prick my hand, and on examination

found a pin (entomological) sticking out just behind his leg ; this I pulled

out with forceps, and a few hours later I found and extracted another pin

behind the other leg ; this time he bled profusely and lost all strength. He

hung on for two days and then died. A P. M. of stomach revealed one

bootlace 19^ ins. long, one piece 13 ins. ; a fish hook \ in. long, two

gramophone needles and a feather some 3 ins., and a \ in. piece of wire

All this in addition to the two pins that had worked out through the sides

of the stomach.


It is most disheartening. My last bird, a Roller, was killed by a

snake, before that some young geese were taken by a fox.

Atbara, Sudan, Nov. 5///, 1906. W. G. Pkrcivai,.



