Correspondence



293



Kaleege Pheasants. I had a cross between Kaleeges and Eeeves. They

are very smart and attractive birds.


I hope there may be something in this letter which may be of

interest to the members.


B. J. Kyan.


Public Works Department,


Jaipur State, Rajput ana.


12th August, 1932.



STRANGE BIRD FRIENDSHIPS


In my animal enclosure I have some very interesting cases of

friendships among my Ducks and Geese, and I thought it would interest

members to read of them. In a pond which is occupied by a good many

species of Ducks and a pair of Black-necked Swans I have a male

Chiloe Wigeon, who has deserted his own mate and is paired to a Fulvous

Tree Duck. An Orinoco gander has made friends with an Ashy¬

headed Goose. A Chukor Partridge has a common Guinea-fowl for his

mate. The most extraordinary of all is the friendship of an Ashy-headed

gander to a White Peahen. All these birds are inseparable and too

amusing to watch.


A. Ezra.



EARLY IMPORTATIONS OF PARADISE BIRD AND

SWALLOW FRUIT-EATER


The date of the first live arrival of a rare bird is always of interest

and that of the Birds of Paradise particularly so, as for most the dates

are comparatively recent, and in many cases can be fixed almost to

a day. The accepted date of the first importation of any member of

the family to England (if not to Europe) is 1862, when Dr. Wallace

brought two Paradisea minor to the Zoo (see Aviculture , vol. i, p. 22).

A record of a much earlier arrival, however, can be found in Latham’s

General History of Birds, 1821-4, where about twenty species of

Paradise Birds are described. Here, under the Greater Bird of Paradise

(P. apoda), there is a note (vol. iii, p. 183) contradicting the statement

in the text that “it is said that they cannot be kept alive by art ”,



