176 K. Plath—Birds at the New Chicago Zoological Park


salmon pink. Then we have the largest of all the warblers, the Yellow¬

breasted Chat. It is an olive-green bird with a rich orange-yellow breast.

About 7 inches long it far exceeds the average warbler in size. Among

the other native birds in this cage is the quaint Wren-Tit, limited in

territory to the coast of California and extending up into Oregon. It

combines characters of the Wren and the Tit-mouse with the appearance

of the former. In its native habitat it is most elusive, more often heard

than seen, and its ringing call is a feature of its native brush. Sharing

this cage are a number of tropical foreign birds, New Zealand White-

eyes, several pairs of Painted Quail, a Bed-crested Finch, and a number

of tropical Tanagers, the Black, Blue, Maroon, Brazilian Scarlet, Black¬

cheeked, Emerald, Violet, Blue-capped, and Green. Also a fine European

Waxwing. Africa is represented in the wall cages by Emperor and Tri¬

coloured Starlings, Giant, Paradise, Bed-shouldered, and Shaft-tailed

Whydahs, Baya, Orange, Napoleon, and Bufous-necked Weavers,

Blue-naped and White-cheeked Colies, Melba, Cut-throat and Grey

and Green Singing Finches, Yellow Sparrows, and a cage of European

Goldfinches. There is also an assortment of Canaries.


Asia offers many brilliant ones, including the Green Hunting-Crow

whose plumage varies according to season, sometimes pale apple-green

or light turquoise varied with mahogany brown and black and all set off

by the vermilion bill and feet. It is one of the loveliest of birds. Then

come Blue-cheeked and Fire-tufted Barbets, Orange-bellied and Gold-

fronted Bulbuls, Fairy Bluebirds glorious in enamelled cerulean blue

and velvet black, Scimitar Babbler, Spectacle and Shama Thrushes,

the Chinese Dayal Bird, and Mynahs. Australia and New Guinea present

the Noisy and Macklot’s Pittas, though why the former is called the

“ noisy ” Pitta seems to have no reason as it is a very quiet bird and only

occasionally do we hear its three-syllabled whistle, far from unpleasant;

Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater (Tawny Frogmouth), which lives mainly

on a diet of mice, usually hand-fed, but feeds familiarly from

the fingers when grub-worms and meal-worms are proffered ;

Hemprich Hornbill, and the ungainly Ground Hornbills, three

Lesser Birds of Paradise, two cocks and a hen, and the very desir¬

able Sickle-billed Bird of Paradise. This bird at first glance appears very

sombre, as it seems to be entirely black. But it is varied with most



