Correspondence



363



and although I never really interfere, on making sure it was over, assisted

by my butler who is keenly interested and very helpful, we went in with a

pair of steps and inspected the rush nest—one infertile egg and a dead chick,

pinion feathers well developed, signs of food in the crop, and a good halo of

buff feathers on its head. Both these birds are again sitting, this time in a

coco-nut. All seven babies are well (the youngest about six weeks old). The

Avadavats have had several nests and laid eggs, but are inclined to nest on

the floor. The aviary has now been enclosed half-way down and over the roof

with windolite, on screw-on panes. To any one at all interested I would be

pleased to give details as to feeding and general management.


Eva Warre.



Madam, —Perhaps you will be interested to hear of some important

events which have happened in the Berlin Zoo within the last three months.

A Fork-tailed Humming Bird ( Eupetomena macrocera) which we have had here

since April, 1934, laid an egg on the 24th of this month. Unfortunately the

bird died immediately. As you know, we managed to keep one Humming Bird

for four years and four days. Of course, we regret this loss extremely. Further¬

more we have succeeded in breeding the Hammerhead ( Scopus umbretta Gm.)

and the Boat-billed Night Heron ( CocMearius cochlearius). Four young birds,

were hatched and reared, two each. They are now fully grown.


Dr. Georg Steinbacher.


Berlin W 62, Budapesterstr. 36,


ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN.



INTERESTING BREEDINGS


Madam,—I n the last number of the Gefiederte Welt I find the following

interesting reports :—


(1) In the Berlin Zoo the Bronze-tailed Peacock-pheasant from Sumatra

has been bred successfully. So far only Mr. Delacour had success with this

species.


(2) A fancier in the Black Forests has bred the Niltava Sundara with

complete success, which I think is “ a First ”.


Alex. Hampe.


Luisenallee 8, Koenigsberg (Pr.)


5th November, 1937.



HABITAT OF PHEASANTS MENTIONED IN “WANDERINGS IN

THE FAR EAST”, BY S. PORTER


On page 36 of the present volume, accompanying an article of mine on

birds of the Far East, was a map ; unfortunately there was no description

with this map, so that its publishing seemed rather pointless. It was intended

to show by means of the small shaded portion lying between China and

Tibet, the area in which the rare Pheasants mentioned in the article were

procured. In this area are found birds whose habitat is very imperfectly

known, such as the White and Blue Crossoptilons, L. huy’s Monal, Darwin’s

Koklas, Temminck’s Tragopan, Elegant Pheasants, and certain Blood

Pheasants.



Sydney Porter.



