148 Foreign Bhds at the Crystal Palace.


insularity gives it an interest of its own ! Three we brought

home alive had to be kept in separate cage's, and when in one of

the large compartments ill the Western Aviary they would still

fight among themselves. One of these alone remains. She (?) is

in perfect health, yells unceasingly, and has one eye. The Island

of Praslin has a peculiar Vasa Parrot Coracopsis barkleyi. It is

small, very rare, and has a beautiful wild whistle. On this

island, and also on Felicite we saw a beautiful Paradise Fly-

catcher (Terpsiphoiie corvina), blue black, with light blue bill

and eyelids, and blue legs; the tail is of great length, and the

bird, of which we only saw males, appears rare. I saw only

three on Praslin and one on Felicit6 i It is not found on Mahe\

This bird is known on the islands by the name of Veuve. The

very small Kestrel, Tinnunmlus gracilis, appears to be rare; we

saw only some half-dozen examples. It too is tame. We did

not see, but were fortunate enough to hear the extremely rare

Scops Owl, Gymnoscops insularis. But this is not the place to

enumerate the avifauna of an Archipelago.


On leaving the Seychelles we came home by the Suez Canal,

and nothing avicultural occurred with the exception of procuring

four living examples of Hemprich's Gull at Aden. This Gull,

which has a restricted range, is extremely common there in the

harbour and, strange to say, the birds we procured were the first

to be exhibited alive in the Zoological Gardens. They would eat

from the hand on the first day they were caught, and infinitely

preferred meat to fish. Three of these may still be seen in the

Gardens in fine condition. With these Gulls the voyage, as far

as this paper is concerned, must end. Its delightful experiences

being mostly but a memory.



FOREIGN BIRDS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.



The collection of foreigners at the recent show was

perhaps about up to the average of recent years. There were

not many birds of exceptional interest and the judging seems to

have met with general disapproval.


The class for Parrakeets was better filled than usual, the

first prize going to a fine pair of Bourke's sent by Mr. H. Peir of



