1/8 
NATURE NOTES. 
tame as our London wood p'geons. It is pleasing to note how fearless all the 
wild birds are on Duck Island from long-continued kindness on the part of those 
connected with the Park. There is one thrush in particutar that thinks nothing 
of hopping into Mr. Riley’s kitchen at any time of the day, all through the year, 
knowing quite well that there is sure to be some tit-bit handy for his special 
delectation. The ringdove, song-thrush, blackbird, hedge and house sparrows, 
spotted fly-catcher, dabchick, and moor-hen — all genuine wild birds — nest within 
a few yards of the cottage ; besides, of course, the majority of the introduced 
water-fowl, comprising many species. Recently the cormorants, an acquisition 
from the Fame Islands, have nested again, and it is to be hoped will be more 
successful this year than on previous occasions, when young were hatched only to 
die from some mysterious cause shortly afterwards. Some of our British sea-fowl 
appear to be difficult to keep for any length of time away from the salt water. 
With the cormorants from the Fames came some guillemots and a puffin ; but 
although every possible care was taken of them, and living fish were regularly 
turned into a pool for the birds to catch for themselves, they did not thrive, and 
finally, refusing all food, pined away and died. There used to be a heron in the 
Park, which was the cause of much anxiety on the part of the duck-keeper, from 
its predilection for young moor-hens and such like ; but one morning it was found 
frightfully injured, evidently from some ruffian having hurled a stone at it, and 
for pity’s sake it had to be put out of its misery. Incredible though it appears, 
this is the common fate of most of the long-legged birds that have been in the 
Park, so Mr. Riley informed me. One fine magpie is still to be seen about the 
island, and I, for one, should be sorry to miss it; but not so Mr. Riley, who has 
seen it some five or six times already this season with an egg in its beak, to say 
nothing of the many probable occasions when its pilferings escaped notice. Alto- 
gether I think those responsible for St. James’s Park are much to be congratulated 
on the success attending their efforts to increase the number of London birds. 
12, Fentiman Road, S. fV. W. Naunton Rushen. 
Since writing the above, the cormorants have hatched out one youngster from 
a clutch of four eggs, which has, up till now (July 22), been doing well, and will 
probably be successiully reared. This is not the first time that such an interesting 
event has happened — one of the four cormorants now in the Park being the off- 
spring of the original stock brought from the Fames about eight years ago. 
Usually, however, the young die at an early age, from various causes, the first 
brood of this year succumbing to the cold, and, strange though it seems, there is 
a danger of the young falling into the water and drowning unless help quickly 
arrives. The herring gulls are admirable parents, and their respective clutches of 
three eggs have developed into half a dozen strong young gulls. The old birds 
will not breed again this season. W. N. R. 
Bulbuls. — Mrs. Brightwen says (p. 147) that “she has never before heard 
of a bulbul kept in captivity in this country.” I am glad to be able to say that 
I have two of this species, answering in all points to her description of “The 
Egyptian Pet,” save that the body is more brown than grey. Mine are natives 
of the Lebanon, and are charming pets, one especially so. When I open his 
cage he flies to me, perches on my shoulder, and, if I am at any meal, comes down 
to myhand and finds his way to my mouth. lie eats almost everything, and, when 
I give him some lettuce or a strawberry, rewards me by a clear and pleasant 
whistle. I should not say that he has not a very pleasant voice, for I often hear 
him warbling to himself, and his song at times is most joyous. All my friends 
delight in his exceeding tameness and familiarity. The other bird is of a shyer 
nature, although tame. The birds are both males, so there is no hope of their 
nesting. But some four years ago I had two birds, a male and female, and they 
built a nest in a hanging flower-pot in my conservatory at Cheltenham, and twice 
the hen laid two eggs, and hatched two young ones, which died, alas ! after a few 
days, from what cause I cannot say. I found the dead nestlings, once lying in an 
empty cage, the door of which was open ; and, at another time, laid on the floor 
close to the entrance to the conservatory. How the parent birds carried them 
from the nest to their several resting-places I cannot say. It is strange that while 
•SO many foreign birds are kept in cages and aviaries, the bulbul is seldom or never 
made a domestic pet, for he is a delightful creature, and would reward any 
