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Correspondence



which reads : “ The late Mr. Pennant furnished us with an instance

to the contrary from Sir Joseph Banks ; one of them having been

brought alive to England.— Ind. Zool., 4do, note x.”


The authorities are unimpeachable, and unless they and Latham

are grievously mistaken, here is a record of a live arrival before 1821.

It would be of interest to look up the reference to the Indian Zoology

for further details.


Another rare first arrival also to be found in Latham is that of the

Swallow Fruit-eater, Tersa tersa (Linn.), 1 which must be one of the rarest

of imported Tanagers. The only example I have seen was the bird in

the marvellous collection of Ecuador birds brought home for Mr. Brooks

by Mr. Goodfellow during the War and housed for a few days at the

Zoo on their way north to Hoddam. It was not then “ new to the

collection ”, but I think that the Zoo had only had it once before, and

that it has never been seen over here since. Latham, however, gives

a wonderfully good coloured plate of the species under the name

Lindo Chatterer, and says that he saw one alive at Mr. Bailey’s, the

Haymarket bird-dealer of that time.


E. H.



THE CRESTED DOVE AT LARGE


In The Field of 8th October the Duchess of Bedford writes : “ The

Australian Crested Dove was imported to Woburn (Beds) more than

twenty years ago. They bred in the open and increased, very much

for a time, then almost died out; but in the last few years have again

greatly increased.”



BIRDS FROM THE AMAZON


I should like to inform members that if they require birds from the

Amazon district I can give them the name of a very keen aviculturist

there who caught me a lot for a mere song last February while I was

out there, but of course the journey is very treacherous indeed, although



1 Late Procnias viridis or ccerulea.



