BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



95 



again to execute a series of war dances until his 

 equanimity is restored. His next advance is to go 

 forth and find food for himself, and to make the 

 best of life until his time comes to devote himself 

 to the rearing of a pelican brood, and as a parent, 

 be it said, the pelicans are models, the fathers in 

 no less a degree than the mothers. Such are a 

 few of the pelican manners and customs as told by 

 Mr. Chapman in one of the most delightful lectures 

 to which naturalists could have the privilege of 

 listening. 



Mr. Chapman also lectured on " What con- 

 stitutes a Museum Collection of Birds," describing 

 the American methods, but paying a hearty com- 

 pliment to our own national collection. Mr. W. P. 

 Pycraft,in " Nestling Birds in relation to Evolution," 

 contended that all birds were originally arboreal ; 

 Dr. Dwight treated of the " Causes and Effects of 

 Feather Abrasion " ; Mr. H. Scherren contributed 

 a paper on " The First Bird List of Eber and 

 Peucer" ; Mr. J. L. Bonhote recorded his Experi- 

 ments in Hybridising Ducks ; Count von Berlepsch 

 dealt with New Neotropical Birds ; the Rev. C. R. 

 Jourdain with Erythrism in Eggs." 



Entertainments and Excursions. 



Over and beyond the opportunities for inter- 

 course afforded by meetings and intervals between 

 meetings, there was no lack of social functions. 

 On the eve of the Congress an informal recep- 

 tion took place at the Imperial Institute. On 

 Wednesday a conversazione was held at the 

 Natural History Museum. On Friday the British 

 Ornithologists' Union gave a dinner to foreign 

 members at Frascati's, and the Lord Mayor and 

 Lady Mayoress of London received the members 

 at the Mansion House. The visit to Tring has 

 been already mentioned. It took place during the 

 Congress week, and a long and delightful day was 

 spent, the special train leaving Euston at nine in 

 the morning, and returning about eight in the 

 evening. The Congress were throughout the day 

 the guests of Mr. Rothschild, and they were most 

 lavishly entertained— whether the entertainment 

 be taken to refer to the instructive feast at the 

 Museum and at the lecture, to the pleasure derived 

 from seeing the kangaroos, zebras, and other wild 

 creatures at large in the Park, and the water- fowl 

 at Tring Reservoirs, or to the luncheon. 



On the Monday following the week of meetings, 

 150 members of the Congress were welcomed at 

 Woburn Abbey, by the Duke and Duchess of 

 Bedford. His Grace provided a special train to 



Ridgmont, where his own carriages met the party, 

 and conveyed them not only to the Abbey, but for 

 a glorious drive through the Park, with its beauti- 

 ful glades, where trees and turf brought even from 

 American visitors an acknowledgment that there 

 are some things in which England cannot be 

 equalled. The famed assembly of wild animals to 

 be seen leading a happy free life in the park and 

 paddocks — rheas, emus, flamingos, storks, buffalos, 

 bisons, giraffes, wild horses, zebras, tapirs, gnus, 

 &c, not to mention thirty varieties of deer — pro- 

 vided unending interest ; and host and hostess 

 guided their guests in the inspection, and enter- 

 tained them at luncheon. 



The following day was devoted to a visit to 

 Cambridge, where Professor Newton received the 

 members in the Museum of Zoology, and luncheon 

 was served in the Hall of Magdalene College. 

 Picked cases of eggs, including eight of the great 

 auk (with the addition of a gourd so closely re- 

 sembling the eggs as to deceive more than one 

 scientist), and an interesting selection of books and 

 letters were arranged for the visitors' inspection ; 

 and a short lecture was given by Dr. Gadow. In 

 the afternoon most of the party drove to Fen Ditton, 

 to see Mr. Bonhote's fine aviaries, in which the 

 hybrid ducks described at the Congress were bred. 



The final event was an excursion to Flamborough 

 and Bridlington, butonly about fifty members, mostly 

 foreigners, took part in this. It was arranged for 

 the purpose of viewing the sea-birds' nesting"- 

 places, and the methods of the cliff-climbers who 

 collect the guillemot's and razorbill's eggs. 



The Congress was favoured with splendid 

 weather during almost the whole time, so that 

 our foreign visitors may remember England as 

 a land not exclusively given over to fogs and rain. 



Very interesting accounts of the Congress have 

 appeared in Chasse et Pcche, in the form of a series 

 of articles from the able pen of Monsieur leDocteur 

 Quinet, of Brussels. Monsieur Louis Ternier has 

 kindly sent us the numbers of La Chasse Illustree 

 (published in Paris) to which he has contributed 

 articles descriptive of the Congress. Doubtless 

 similar detailed notices have been printed in other 

 foreign and colonial papers. Copies of such would 

 be welcomed at the office of this Society. 



The Belgian Minister of Agriculture has issued a 

 circular with reference to the ortolan season, 

 directing that if any birds other than ortolans are 

 used as decoys or are snared, they are to be 

 liberated and the fowlers summoned. 



