15 
probably Ardea egrella. I have taken some photos while he was 
fishing for minnows {vide plale) ; he makes a curious croaking 
noise and is agressively tame. He amused himself soon after 
arrival by killing some of my Pekin Robins, when he was put for 
a short time into the aviary. If any of our members keep an 
Kgret they must never allow him to have access to small birds. 
He is fed on raw meat, which he picks up out of the stream, and 
on soaked bread. 
In response to your request I have tried to get some photos 
of the above birds, but January is a bad month for photography, 
and the exposures necessary have caused some movement to be 
visible in respective photos, but I hope one of them at least will 
be good enough for reproduction. 
The birds are confined at night in a long shed, which is 
divided into six divisions. I give them no food in their houses, 
but when the doors are opened they all come out at once and 
make for their regular feeding place by the lake, to reach which 
they have to cross a stream ; the Rheas, Cranes and Flamingoes 
wade through it, the others go round by the bridge. The Rheas 
commence by running wildly round in circles, the Cranes all 
dance, jump, and stretch their wings, and the Flamingoes walk 
with great dignity into the water. Their food is usually put on a 
table three feet high, to prevent the ducks eating it — as this 
would not look well in a photo, I had to get them accustomed to 
feed from the ground, this and the camera made them very sus- 
picious, and, combined with the indifferent light, made taking 
their portraits difficult indeed. 
We have had no frost here, but torrents of rain, and the 
wet has given the Flamingoes rheumatism in their legs, and this 
winter for the first time they have had to be taken into a heated 
conservatory, which contains a pool and fountain ; as the result 
they have almost recovered, but are still slightly lame, whereas 
when they were first taken indoors one of them fell on attempting 
movement. I have had one for six years and he has never been 
affected by frost or cold, but continued wet they do not seem able 
to endure. 
The Sarus and Crowned Cranes I have only had a month, 
they were very wild and timid at first, but are now quite tame and 
