30 Correspondence



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE NESTING OF THE KAGU

By kind permission of Mrs. Dunn.


Madam, —It was in April, 1936, that my employer purchased a pair of

these charming and interesting birds. They were placed in a large aviary

with a small shelter attached. They quickly settled down, and during the

early summer had a perfect moult and became quite tame. It was, however,

not until late August that the cock commenced to utter his loud and curious

call; to me it sounds like the barking of a dog, and can be heard a long way

off. As the season was so far advanced, I never thought that they would

attempt to breed this year. Judge my surprise, however, when in early October

I noticed the cock was interesting himself in carrying dried leaves and grass

under a small bush. On 14th October a beautiful nest was completed, and

next day the egg was laid. It was a large egg, as big as a hen’s, creamy-white

splashed with brown and black streaks. Both birds took part in incubation,

the hen sitting by day and the male at night. The weather was now bad and

I had but little hope of their hatching it out. However, after sitting for close

upon thirty-six days a fine chick was hatched. The weather now was bitterly

cold, and I intended at the first chance to drive the parents and chick into the

warm shelter, but it was not to be. After living about an hour, the chick

suddenly died and our hopes were dashed to the ground. However, it was a

fine attempt and I am almost certain that had the egg been laid during the

summer we might have been lucky enough to have reared this wonderful and

beautiful species. I sent the dead chick to Mr. Seth-Smith for inspection.

This was one more disappointment, but still there is another chance. I only

hope that the birds live and do well and that they will decide to lay early

next year.


A. Martin, Curator.


[All our members will echo Mr. Martin’s hope.—E d.]



REPLY TO MR. FROST


Madam, —The first statement in Mr. Frost’s letter regarding my remarks

about the bird shops in Singapore is rather contradictory. Why, if the shops

(about five in number) are so excellently kept, do they need the strict super¬

vision of a European Police Officer “ especially detailed to that duty ” ?

It would seem that the Government do not think quite as enthusiastically

about the way the Chinese look after their birds as Mr. Frost does. I know

they don’t after conversing with the person whose advice the Government

takes in this matter.


Of course, people’s ideas as to how birds should be kept is apt to differ.

Personally I like to see them kept clean and given food upon which they will

subsist. I never saw anything but rice given to Parrots and Finches, and I

certainly saw many Long-tailed and Blue-rumped Parrots dying from

starvation owing to being fed solely on rice.


I made no comparison between the bird shops here and the ones in

Singapore. Frankly I will admit that the ones in Singapore could give certain

shops here points—unfortunately !



