P. Barclay-Smith—King Ferdinand’s Collection



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Scaly-crowned Weaver, Magpie Mannakin, Painted Quail, Short-tailed

Munia, Bearded Tits (Russian), and the attractive Black-headed

Oriole.


In aviary number eighteen were Black-headed Weaver, Yellow¬

headed Marsh Bird, Swainson’s Lorikeet, and various coloured

Budgerigars.


Fischer’s Lovebirds breed in large numbers at Coburg and there

were about a hundred of them in the last aviary ; as always, these

birds are most destructive and immediately strip any greenery they

are provided with of its leaves.


In the garden are very large aviaries containing a Buzzard, a

Goshawk, and an Eagle Owl; the latter fell out of the nest when

young and was brought to King Ferdinand. A very tame South African

Ground Hornbill named “ Franz ” enjoys life in a large aviary where

he can fly with great ease, and in a similar one is a very good specimen

of the Crowned Hawk Eagle, named “ Fritz ”, which has been in His

Majesty’s possession for eight years.


In’ the Villa itself, King Ferdinand has rooms entirely devoted

to birds, in one of which there are four specimens of the White-headed

Woodpecker ( Leuconerpes Candidas), and two of that rare Toucan

—Ramphastos vitellinus. In another room there is an Ariel Toucan

and two Purple-capped Lories, and further four specimens of Sandevall’s

Grenadier Weaver bird.


The gardens and grounds are kept as a sanctuary for wild birds

and every effort is made to render it attractive for them. No old

tree is allowed to be cut down or dead branch taken off, in order that

the tree nesting birds may find sufficient nesting sites ; and nesting-

boxes and food are also provided. The Wryneck and five species of

Woodpecker, the Green, Grey-headed Green, Great Spotted, Middle

Spotted, and Lesser Spotted, all inhabit the grounds. Thistles are

cultivated and King Ferdinand has an excellent crop of these plants

usually discouraged by gardeners, and he is rewarded by the sight and

song of multitudes of Goldfinches which fly in and out among the

leaves and eat the seeds quite undismayed by the close proximity of

humans. I visited Coburg at the end of July when there was not

much to be heard of bird song, but during the spring the grounds must



