Correspondence



395



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE BLUE EARED-PHEASANT


I read with great pleasure Herr H. Stefani’s interesting article on the

Eared-Pheasant in the August number of the Magazine. There are,

however, a few points where I am not quite in accord with him.


The young cocks do show spurs in their first year ; in most specimens

they are fully developed when a year old, and it is quite easy to tell the

cocks from the hens when they are about six months old.


Also, I am afraid Eared-Pheasants are not gardeners and spoil a garden

in no time by digging. I should advise keeping them in parks or enclosures,

but not in well-kept gardens. As Herr Stefani suggests, two dozen Blue

Eared-Pheasants reached Cleres in 1929, one hen alone being among them.

But I should like to emphasize that neither myself nor my friend Professor

Ghigi ever offered hybrids for pure bred Blues ! They are quite different

from both parents, and although nearer to the Blue, cannot be confused

with it. In the next number of VOiseau will be found an exhaustive study

of these hybrids and of Crossoptilon in general by Professor Ghigi, which

gives all necessary details of the birds. Neither have three-quarter Blue-

bred hybrids, the majority of which are quite indistinguishable from full-

blooded Blues, ever been offered for sale.


The seven-eighths Blue-bred birds have reverted completely to pure Blues

and can be safely considered as such; one cannot tell them from my old

imported birds.


I may add that a couple of dozen of wild caught Blue Eared-Pheasants

were imported into California last winter; some have already been bred

there and will soon come to France, I hope.


J. Delacour.



MORE NEW SUNBIRDS


The List of Sunbirds which have been kept, given on p. 146 of the Magazine

(June), was very soon to be put out of date with the arrival of Messrs. Webb

(May 26) and Shaw Mayer (July) from Kenya and New Guinea respectively,

bringing between them about thirty head of Sunbirds of eight species or

sub-species, all in wonderful condition and with one possible exception new

to Aviculture. Every one of them found a new home with different members

or in the Zoo on the day of arrival or thereabouts.


The following is a list:—


Mr. Webb’s birds from E. Africa (see A.M., 1933, 194).


Tacazze Sunbird ( Nectarinia tacazze (Stanley)). Hab. : Abyssinia to

Kenya. Plate : Shelley, Mon. Nect. 19, pi. 7. There were several of

these and also of N. kilimensis, one example of which had previously

been imported before and been at the Zoo (see A.M., p. 148).


Kenya Malachite S unbird ( N. famosa ceneigularis (Sharpe)). A sub¬

species new to Aviculture.


Golden-winged Sunbird ( Drepanorhynchus reichenowi (Fischer)). Hab. :

Uganda to Kenya. Plate: Shell., Mon., pi. 6, fig. 1. I think about

six of this striking species with its yellow and black plumage and very

curved bill came ; they make a most attractive new arrival.



