186 N. Wharton-Tigar—The President’s Garden Party


The visitors, among whom were many well-known people, were

then asked to go indoors, where the usual sumptuous tea and refresh¬

ments were served, and much appreciated by all. Among the large

gathering was a distinguished visitor from New York who came with

Mrs. Seth-Smith, and Sir David Ezra over from India was one of the

family circle.


After tea, I left to visit a friend, who lives not far away ; but

Mr. Terry Jones sent me the following notes of what took place when

the waterfowl, etc., were inspected. He says, “ The first birds I noticed

were great numbers of wild Turtle Doves, and a lovel/ flock of domestic

Pigeons, Croppers, and Polish Lynx given to Mrs. Ezra originally by

Mr. Whitby. A Green-winged Trumpeter came running to see us.

By the first pond were Chestnut-breasted Shelduck and Common

Shelduck, Combduck, and on the pond were Bernicle Geese, Tufted

Duck, and Pochard, and a pair of Black Swans. Lower down we met an

Emperor Goose, grey, laced with dark grey, a white head and neck

with a black throat. We saw the two types of specific Peafowl, one

with blue neck and the other with a golden green neck. The Burmese

and the Indo-Chinese I believe. The Madagascar White-backed Duck,

a most curious Grebe-like bird without a trace of white on its back,

is still thriving and breeding. I believe Mr. Ezra is the only one who

breeds them. The Black-necked Swans had a brood. There was a pair

of the lovely Eytons or Plumed Tree Duck, a very rare and beautiful

bird, with long bull flank feathers, curling over its back like Japanese

chrysanthemum petals. Other species seen were the Fulvous, Black¬

billed, Wandering, White-faced Java, White-winged Wood Ducks,

Albina, Bahama, Pintail, Pigmy Teal; one very rare Pinkhead Duck.

The whole head and neck is shell pink, the body a rich warm chocolate.

Mandarin and Carolina were nesting in the trees and the Barheaded

Goose was sitting in exactly the same spot as last year. The Orinoco

Geese had a fine and healthy brood of nine I believe. We saw a flock

of Flamingos on the grass. Also, I forgot to mention that while we

were at the bottom, we saw two flocks, one of Ross’ Snow Geese, and

one of Red-breasted, both very lovely and very rare.”



