Monthly 
Letter-Box. 
(62) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
Our Letter Box. 
To the Editor of The Bird World, 154, Fleet 
Street, London, England. 
Dear Sir, —Your Bird World Magazine is very 
much to my mind, and you may put down the 
New York Zoological Society as a subscriber. I 
was pleased to see the nice notice of our Mr. 
Stacey. While I have the facts under my hand I 
am tempted to enclose the figures of our bird col¬ 
lections as they stand to-day. You will notice that 
we have 26 Orders represented. I am glad to 
know that Mr. Frank Finn is connected with your 
magazines. He is a man whose work I admire 
very much.—Yours very truly, 
W. T. HORN AD AY, 
Director. 
NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 
List of Birds on Hand, December 31ST, 1906. 
Species. Specimens. 
Rheas . 
i 
2 
Ostriches . 
2 
2 
Cassowaries 
2 
3 
Tinamous . 
2 
5 
Game-birds ... . 
... 4 8 
189 
Pigeons . 
... 31 
hi 
Rails. 
7 
20 
Grebes . 
1 
... 1 
Gulls. 
11 
36 
Plovers, etc. 
... 7 
19 
Cranes . 
... 9 
17 
Herons . 
22 
... 76 
Screamers ... . 
1 
3 
Flamingoes. 
2 
9 
Ducks, etc.. 
••• 45 
••• 333 
Pelicans, etc. . 
9 
25 
American Vultures 
5 
12 
Eagles, Hawks, etc. 
... 19 
40 
Owls . 
... 15 
29 
Parrots . 
... 46 
101 
Hornbills, Kingfishers, etc. 
2 
5 
Trogons . 
1 
2 
Cuckoos, etc. 
2 
3 
Toucans, Barbets, etc. ... 
4 
5 
Woodpeckers, etc. 
3 
3 
Passerine birds 
... 184 
... 1,053 
Total: 481 Species, 2,104 Specimens, 26 Orders. 
C. William Beebe, 
Curator. 
To the Editor of The Bird World, 154, Fleet 
Street, London. 
Dear Sir, — I have always understood that 
hybrids could not reproduce, it having been so 
ordained, in order that species should remain dis¬ 
tinct. But I haye read that fertile hybrids have 
been produced, in some cases, between the Gold 
and Amherst Pheasants, for instance. How does 
this square with the usually accepted theory ? 
One would think that two species which produced 
fertile hybrids like these would get mixed up, as 
both come from China, according to the bird books. 
INQUIRER. 
The Kingfisher. 
By F. FINN, B.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 
(Continued from page 47.) 
A Bad Cage Bird. 
It must be borne in mind, however, that the 
Kingfisher is utterly unsuited for prolonged 
cage-life; and this not only because it makes 
much dirt and requires a plunge-bath for its 
ablutions, but because it does not hop about, but 
only flies from one perch to another, and hence 
cannot take much exercise in a small space. 
In a large aviary provided with a pool, how¬ 
ever, it will thrive, and has even bred, so I was 
once told. There may be some difficulty in 
selecting a pair. The hen is said to be duller 
and greener than the cock, but the difference is 
not at all obvious, and it must be remembered 
that only a true pair will live together, the King¬ 
fisher being one of our most quarrelsome birds. 
Breeding accommodation would require to be 
in the form of a bank of soil of suitable consis¬ 
tency for burrowing, in which a few holes 
might be begun to encourage the birds to nest. 
Care must be taken always to supply some fish 
in a shallow pan, unless the pool is very shal¬ 
low, as the birds cannot take fish in deep water 
unless these happen to be near the surface. 
In any case, I hope these lovely birds will not 
be taken even for avicultural purposes except 
in a locality where they are doing damage, i.e., 
in a fish-culture establishment. Everywhere 
else this stray sunbeam from a brighter zone 
should be held sacred as much from the net 
as from the gun. 
IMPROVED WIRE FRONTS. 
Sizes ^stocked 12 by 10 or 12, 3d. each ; 14 by 12, 3f,d ; 
16 by 12, 4d. ; 18 by 12, 4|d. ; 20 by 12, 5d. ; 24 by 14, 6d.; 
other sizes to order, same rate of price; large fronts, about 
3d. per square foot, according to strength; Yorkshire 
Show, 15s. dozen; Baths, Seed Boxes, etc. Please note— 
These fronts are made by experienced workmen, sliding 
door and seed holes in ready for use.—E. Bunner and Sons, 
Cage Makers, Copperas Hill, Liverpool. 
GREAT NATIONAL CAGE BIRD SHOW, 
Crystal Palace, February, 1907. 
R. A. NEWLEY 
(Maker of Cages, Aviaries, etc.) 
begs to announce that he will have a fine exhibition of 
bird cages and sundries of all kinds on his stall at the above 
show. Inspection and patronage of fanciers and public 
visiting is respectfully invited. Address all communica¬ 
tions to 
R. A. NEWLEY, 24, Stockwell Green, 
London, S.W. 
PINK’S id. packet best mixed bird seed, free from 
niger, for canaries, etc. 
PINK’S best id. bags shell gravel, for all cage birds. 
Sold everywhere. 
PINK’S best 2d. packets mixed seeds, for parrots, &c. 
PINK’S SEEDS, &C. If any difficulty in obtain¬ 
ing supplies locally, E. and T. Pink, Staple Street, 
London, S.E., will give the necessary information. 
