ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1443 



or less attention from propagators. We are 

 particularly glad^ therefore^ to be able to add 

 to the list of these birds that have been bred 

 in captivity in this country^ the picazuro pigeon^ 

 (Columba picasuro). This is a iine^ large 

 specieSj found in southern South America^ and 

 as it is indifferent to the cold, it might be intro- 

 duced with success in northern countries. 



Our breeding pair came to us from Brazil in 

 January, 1910, and since that time they have 

 been kept in one of the runs at the Pheasant 

 Aviary, living out of doors throughout the year. 

 For six years, they gave no evidence of a desire 

 to nest, although facilities were always provided. 

 This spring, however, they appeared to have 

 become thoroughly reconciled to captivity, and 

 after several futile attempts succeeded in hatch- 

 ing and rearing a young bird. They are now 

 again engaged in incubation. But one egg has 

 been laid in each case, and it is probable that 

 this is the normal clutch with this species, as it 

 is with most of the larger pigeons. 



A pair of engagingly tame red-billed pigeons 

 (C flavirostris) , from Mexico, are nesting, and, 

 like the picazuros, have but a single egg. These 

 birds are favorite pets of the Mexicans, and the 

 squabs often are taken from the nest and reared 

 by hand. Such birds retain their lack of fear, 

 even when adult, and if a true pair can be ob- 

 tained, will breed freely. 



The mourning doves, that have absorbed a 

 good share of our attention, have reared more 

 than twenty youngsters. Several of these birds 

 killed themselves by dashing about their cages 

 when alarmed by an escaped ring-tailed "cat," 

 but enough remain to provide a good stock of 

 breeders for next year. A pair of adults is now 

 at liberty in the Park, the male having been 

 free for more than a year. 



In 1914, a pair of laughing gulls hatched two 

 young ones in the Flying Cage, and in spite of 

 the ever-ready maws of pelicans and herons, 

 succeeded in rearing one of them. The follow- 

 ing year, two pairs made the attempt, but in 

 spite of a hedge of branches which was placed 

 around them, all of the young disappeared. 

 Early this spring, large stones were arranged 

 to form tunnels in which each pair could find 

 seclusion. The pile was then surrounded by a 

 circle of heavy wire netting, six feet high and 

 eight feet in diameter. Numerous small aper- 

 tures were cut at the bottom, large enough to 

 admit the gulls, but excluding everything larger. 



The birds did not enter the sanctuary at first, 

 although they evidently desired to do so. It 

 was then noticed that the entrance holes were 

 of such a height that it was necessary for the 



gulls to lower their heads in order to pass 

 through. As this is an act which many wild birds 

 consistently refuse to perform, two inches were 

 clipped from the top of each space, and next 

 morning the gulls were inside. 



Three jjairs immediately selected sites and 

 soon were incubating their eggs. Each pair 

 safely hatched a single youngster and all were 

 doing well, when one was killed by a large rat. 

 This depredator received swift justice, and the 

 remaining two young birds were safely reared. 



We have reared a number of golden pheas- 

 ants, several bob-whites and also at least one 

 scaled quail, with several more still in the bum- 

 ble-bee stage. The last species may have been 

 bred previously, but no record of this event has 

 come to the writer's notice. 



Last year, while removing the birds from the 

 Flying Cage, we found two large white eggs in 

 a small cavity in the top of a ten-foot stump. 

 They evidentl} were those of curassows, and 

 this spring we selected the only true pair that 

 had been in the cage the year before, and with- 

 held the others. A close watch soon disclosed 

 the female sitting in the cavity, and after a 

 short wait, her two white eggs were removed 

 and placed ander a bantam hen, since young 

 birds of that character could not survive in the 

 midst of sucli a crowd of doubtful characters as 

 is found in the Flying Cage. Unfortunately, 

 however, the eggs proved infertile, as was the 

 case with a second pair which appeared shortly 

 afterward. This species, the banded curassow, 

 {^Crax fasciolata), appears never to have been 

 bred in captivity, and it is disappointing to have 

 been so near success without achieving it. 



A Reckless Peafowl. — There is no account- 

 ing for the tastes of people, as the old proverb 

 says, and this is equally true of wild creatures. 

 When Mr. Charles Snyder prepared the fang 

 of a rattlesnake to present to a friend, he did 

 not suspect its ultimate destination. It required 

 considerable delicate manipulation to separate 

 the fang from the skull and properly clean it, 

 and after this had been accomijlished Mr. Sny- 

 der placed it on a window ledge of the Reptile 

 House to dry. The peacocks have a habit of 

 perching on these window ledges to bask in the 

 sun, and one of them passing at this moment, 

 selected that same ledge and settled himself 

 down. Then discovering what he suspected to be 

 a delicate morsel, he seized it, raised his head in 

 the air, after the manner of a fowl, and swal- 

 lowed it. The rightful owner passing across 

 the yard, saw the act of the peacock, too late 

 to save the fang. 



