THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY EDITED BY PHYLLIS BARCLAY-SMITH, M.B.E. VOL. LXIX JANUARY, 1963, to DECEMBER, 1963 Hertford STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd. 1963 CONTENTS Title-page ......... i Contents ......... hi List of Contributors ....... iv List of Plates ........ vii Officers for the Year 1963 ...... 1 Officers of the Avicultural Society Past and Present . 2 Magazine ......... 1 Index 262 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ARTICLES Anderdon, S. M. The National Exhibition of Cage-birds, 1962, 82. Ara, Leo A. Notes on a parrot collection in Calcutta, 43. Barclay-Smith, Phyllis. David Seth-Smith, 1875-1963. — In memoriam, 223. Boswall, Jeffery. Recording the voices of captive birds, 1 2 1 . Brown, Reginald E. B. Java sparrows, 239. Copley, R. A. Notes on Black-necked Swans ( Cygnus melanocoryphus ) , 48. Cummings, W. D. Breeding the Blue-shouldered Mountain Tanager ( Compsocoma somptuosa), 30. Delacour, J. Notes on austral and southern Pacific birds, 50. I. Western Australia, 50. II. South Australia, 117. III. Victoria, 145. IV. Central Australia, 146. V. Northern Territory, 147. VI. North Queensland, 194. VII. Tasmania, 197. VIII. New South Wales, 227. IX. New Guinea, 231. X. New Zealand, 235. John Spedan Lewis — Obituary, 128. Cleres, 1963, 251. Dharmakumarsinhji, K. S. Rearing Great Indian Bustards ( Choriotus nigriceps ), 45. Everitt, Charles. Breeding the Kurrichane Thrush, 80. Breeding the Black-throated Cotinga ( Pipreola riefferi), 141. The Edward Marshall Boehm aviaries in 1962, 205. Fletcher, A. W. E. News from Chester Zoo, 36, 88, 169, 209. Forshaw, Joseph M. The parrots of Australia : 4. The Blue-bonnet (Psephotus haematogaster) , 71. 5. The Galah ( Eolophus roseicapilla) , 160. 6. The Mallee Ringneck Parrot (Barnardius barnardi ), 240. Garratt, John. Breeding of Yellow-winged Sugar Bird, 120. LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS V Goodwin, Derek. Observations on Java Sparrows, 54. Some behaviour of a captive Red-billed Oxpecker, 1 13. The Fire-crowned Bishop, 135. Some notes on Black-capped Waxbills, 149. Grummt, Wolfgang. The Himalayan Snow Cock ( Tetraogallus himalayensis Gray), 157. Harrison, C. J. O. Jameson’s Firefinch and the Dark Firefinch, 42. An apparent natural hybrid between a Combassou and a Pin-tailed Whydah, 225. ISENBERG, A. H. Breeding report for 1962 from Portola Valley, 238. Jayewardene, E. D. W. Breeding the Malabar or Indian Blue-winged Parrakeet ( Psittacula columboides) , 136. Johnson, F. E. B. Breeding Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant, 22 Mutations of the Golden Pheasant, 23. King, Hartley. Breeding the Rock Parrakeet ( Neophema petrophila ) , 70. Klos, Heinz-Georg. The new bird house in the Berlin Zoo, 103. Knobel, E. Maud. Parrots, 102. Kruijt, J. P. Notes on wing display in the courtship of pheasants, 1 1 . Langberg, W. Breeding of the Grey-headed Silverbill ( Odontospiza caniceps ), 97. Lasky, William R. Some notes on the nesting of two pairs of Tanagers in a community aviary, 199. Lucas, Charles K. The breeding of the Plumed or Spinifex Pigeon, 138. M ALLISON, J. J. C. Wattled Crane in N’gamiland, 134. Murray, Ray. The genetics of the Yellow-masked Gouldian Finch, 108. N aether, Carl. A close-up view of the Mountain Witch Dove, 201. Breeding Bartlett’s Bleeding-heart Pigeon ( Gallicolumba criniger ), 217. O’Neill, Jorge. Half-liberty Jendaya Conures ( Eupsittula jendaya ), 180. Ornamental Pheasant Trust. Annual report 1962, 3. VI LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Payne, Claude M. Breeding the Knysna Touraco ( Turacus corythaix ), 25. Prestwich, Arthur A. British Aviculturist’s Club, 38, 90, 171, 255. News and Views, 38, 91, 131, 172, 212, 256. Rigge, J. S. Breeding of the Crimson or Green-winged Macaw, Am chloroptera, 34. Shapiro, S. Unusual behaviour of young Gouldian Finches, 127. Simmons, K. E. L. Further records of anting in passerine birds, 148. Some behaviour characters of the Babblers (Timaliidae), 183. Smith, C. The breeding of Mitchell’s Lorikeet ( Trichoglossus haematod mitchellii ), 32- SMITH, Kenneth. Birds in the Jersey Zoological Park, 86. Trollope, J. Escapes from London Airport, 1 34. Wayre, Philip. Cabot’s Tragopan ( Tragopan caboti ), 1. West, David. Psittacine birds in California, 249. WUNSCHMANN, A. News from the Berlin Zoological Garden, 253. Ye ALL AND, J. J. The Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) , 21. The breeding of a Crake, 42. The Didric Cuckoo ( Chrysococcyx caprius ), 179. London Zoo Notes, 37, 88, 130, 170, 21 1, 255. CORRESPONDENCE White Eyes as “ homing ” birds, R. A. Richardson, p. 43 ; Mutual breeding behaviour, Jeffrey Trollope, p. 44 ; The con¬ dition of aviary birds during the exceptionally severe weather in January, 1963, G. Ronald Pryor, p. 94 and Sybilla Anderdon, p. 94 ; Solubility of Turacin, p. 178; A warning — the danger of toxic chemical spraying to aviculture, R. Brown, p. 260 ; Recording the voices of captive birds, Jeffery Boswall, p. 261. LIST OF PLATES * Cabot’s Tragopan ...... Young Great Indian Bustards .... The Blue-bonnet ( Psephotus haematogaster ) . I Tero Creek Station, N.S.W. : Haunt of the !■ Blue-bonnet ..... J Grey-headed Silverbill ( Odontospiza caniceps) New Bird house in the Berlin Zoo — North section with aviaries for toucans and touracos ....... In the walk-through aviary .... Young Yellow-winged Sugar Bird, near nest. Four weeks old ..... Two young Yellow-winged Sugar Birds. Four weeks old ...... j * Fire-crowned Bishop ..... Himalayan Snow Cock (Male) .... Himalayan Snow Cock (Female) A seasonal watercourse in the open plains of far north-western New South Wales : Haunt of E. roseicapilla ...... A small flock of Galahs (E. roseicapilla) resting in eucalyptus trees near an inland watercourse *Didric Cuckoo ...... Typical pose of Bartlett’s Bleeding-heart Pigeon! Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon J David Seth-Smith ...... Open forest and Mallee near Mildura, Victoria : Haunt of the Mallee Ringneck Parrot Female Mallee Ringneck Parrot ( Barnadius barnardi) at the nesting hollow facing page i » 45 » 72 » 97 „ 106 » 107 „ 120 „ 135 „ i58 » 159 „ 164 „ 165 „ 179 „ 217 55 223 „ 244 » 245 * Denotes a coloured plate. 4 ■■ ry jTff. ZcSf-J^ Division of aum tl AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGe Cabot’s Tragopan ( Tragopan caboti) [with coloured plate) , by Philip Wayre . i Ornamental Pheasant Trust — Annual Report, 1962 ..... 3 Notes on Wing Display in the Courtship of Pheasants, by J. P. Kruijt . 1 1 The Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) , by J. J. Yealland . . .21 Breeding Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant, by F. E. B. Johnson .... 22 Mutations of the Golden Pheasant, by F. E. B. Johnson .... 23 Breeding the Knysna Touraco ( Turacus corythaix) , by Claude M. Payne . 25 Breeding the Blue-shouldered Mountain Tanager ( Compsocoma somptuosa), by W. D. Cummings .......... 30 The Breeding of Mitchell’s Lorikeet ( Trichoglossus haematod mitchellii ), by C. Smith . . . . . . . . . . -32 Breeding of the Crimson or Green-winged Macaw (Ara chloroptera ) , by J. S. Rigge ........... 34 News from Chester Zoo, by A. W. E. Fletcher . 36 London Zoo Notes, by J. J. Yealland ....... 37 Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . *37 British Aviculturists’ Club ......... 38 News and Views . . . . . . . . . . .38 Reviews ............ 41 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Correspondence ... . . . . . . . -43 VOL. 69 No. 1 PRICE 7/6 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1963 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Founded 1894 President : D. Seth-Smith, Esq. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer : A. A. Prestwich, Galley’s Wood, Nr. Edenbridge, Kent. Assistant Secretary : Miss Kay Bonner. Membership Subscription is £2 per annum, due on 1st January each year, and payable in advance. Life Membership £25. Subscriptions, Change of Address, Names of Candidates for Membership, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Hon. President : Mr. Jean Delacour. President : Mr. Joseph Niemczak. Secretary s Mr. Otis Wade, 1806 Redesdale Avenue, Los Angeles 26, Calif. U.S.A. The annual dues of the Society are $4.00 per year, payable in advance. The Society year begins 1st January, but new members may be admitted at any time. Members receive a monthly bulletin. Correspondence regarding membership, etc., should be directed to the Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE The Magazine is published bi-monthly, and sent free to all members of the Avicultural Society. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year on the payment of subscription. All matter for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to : — The Editor : Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith, 51 Warwick Avenue, London, W. 9. Telephone : Cunningham 3006. The price of the Magazine to non-members is 7 s. 6d., post free, per copy, or £2 5 s. for the year. Orders for the Magazine, extra copies and back numbers (from 1917) should be sent to the publishers, Stephen Austin & Sons, Ltd., Caxton Hill, Ware Road, Hertford, England. Telephone : Hertford 2352/3/4. NOTICE AFTER CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE INNER MARGIN AND TYPE OF MATERIAL WE HAVE SEWN THIS VOLUME BY HAND SO IT CAN BE MORE EASILY OPENED AND READ. Avicult. Mag. Cabot's Tragopan Avicultural Magazine THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Vol. 69.— No. 1. — All rights reserved. JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1963 CABOT’S TRAGOPAN ( Tragopan caboti) By Philip Wayre (Norwich, England) The genus Tragopan consists of five species and two sub-species. Of these, three species are at present in the Trust’s collection. Satyr Tragopan satyra, Temminck’s Tragopan temmincki and Cabot’s Tragopan caboti. The last two species have again been bred this year. Cabot’s Tragopan is not quite so brightly coloured as the other two, having less red in its plumage ; the general appearance of the male being pale buff, spotted with black and a tinge of red. The crest and the sides of the neck are orange-red and the facial skin orange-yellow, giving the head an altogether paler and more orange look than the other species. The hen Cabot’s is very similar to the hen Temminck’s except that the breast is paler and more heavily streaked with whitish feathers. Much has been written about breeding and rearing Tragopans but in many instances authors have merely re-hashed accounts of breedings which have taken place at the beginning of the century. Feeding-stuffs and rearing methods have changed considerably in the last decade and some of the old beliefs are no longer true so that an up-to-date account of breeding Cabot’s in the Trust’s collection may not be out of place. Five males and two females of this species were imported from China in the winter of i960 as previously reported (Avicultural Magazine, Vol. 67, No. 1). Both hens laid the following summer but, unfortunately, only one male survived the journey, quarantine and the subsequent change of environment. Despite a choice of elevated nest-boxes and baskets in their enclosures both these hen Cabot’s made their nests on the ground underneath shrubs. Three young were reared from three eggs produced by the pair, two of the young surviving to maturity, both being hens. Last summer the same adult pair laid four eggs in their first clutch and from these four young were reared. Unfortunately one died when nearly five months old and proved to be a male, the remaining three all appear to be females. The nest in 1962 was in precisely the same spot under a shrub as in the previous year. 2 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT Adult Cabot’s are very arboreal, spending much time in trees and shrubs when not actually feeding, but it is interesting that these two wild-caught hens both nested on the ground despite a choice of elevated nest-boxes. This has not often been the case before, judging from old accounts of breeding this species. The eggs took twenty-nine days to hatch under a bantam and the chicks were easily reared. It has often been stated that Tragopan chicks do not eat much for the first two days, but this is common to all pheasants. The young Cabot’s were brought up from the start on a proprietary brand of pheasant-starter crumb, with a little finely chopped lettuce and grated hard boiled yolk of egg scattered over the crumbs for the first three weeks. Live maggots were also given daily from the start. In common with other Tragopans the Cabot’s chicks need to be given heat of some kind until they are two months old, especially at night. All the brooders containing young pheasants are moved daily across a freshly mown lawn, but no other green food is fed to young Tragopans except the chopped lettuce mentioned above. While Cabot’s have not in the past proved easy to keep or to rear it is to be hoped that with modern conditions and feeding it will be possible to build up a sound stock of this rare species. Perhaps two of the most important points are to give them plenty of space with large runs and to refrain from feeding corn of any kind, since the males are liable to die of heart trouble or fits if allowed to become over-fat. A diet of turkey or pheasant breeders pellets and fruit with plenty of natural greenfood is essential. ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT 3 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 1962 LIST OF OFFICERS President Jean Delacour Vice-Presidents The Lord Walsingham, D.S.O. A. A. Prestwich Hon. Vice-President Professor Alessandro Ghigi Trustees The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Chaplin David Seth-Smith Philip Wayre Hon. Treasurer R. Q,. Gurney Hon. Director Philip Wayne Hon. Secretary J. J. Yealland Council Miss P. Barclay-Smith, M.B.E. F. E. B. Johnson Miss Kay Bonner Gordon Jolly, M.R.C.O.G. Dr. J. G. Harrison, M.A., M.B. Terry F. Jones Dr. Edward Hindle, F.R.S. G. S. Mottershead A. R. Tennings, M.A., M.V.Sc., Professor Charles Sibley M.R.C.V.S. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, 1962 The past year has been an important one in that for the first time part of the Trust’s collection was open to the public. As many Members are no doubt aware the continual growth of the collection with all that its maintenance entails, supported as it is by a limited income from subscriptions and donations, has become an increasing financial burden upon the Hon. Director. At the same time his private collection of birds and mammals has also continued to expand. During the year the scheme to develop some 26 acres of land at Gt. Witchingham, as mentioned in the 1961 Report, has been put into operation. A representative selection of the Trust’s birds is now 4 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST — -ANNUAL REPORT on view to the general public within the new Wildlife Park. To accommodate these birds additional pens have been constructed ; these include a series of nine large open-topped pens each measuring 24 by 60 feet and containing an electrically heated Leckford hut for tropical species. In addition a range of smaller pens each measuring 40 by 20 feet with a central service passage has been erected. These pens are roofed with Ulstron (nylon) netting and each contains an unheated shelter. The remainder of the Wildlife Park has been laid out to exhibit other birds and mammals. A chain of seven new pools for water birds has been constructed, the largest of these pools covering almost three- quarters of an acre. One of them is set aside for flamingoes and another for waders. The remainder accommodate a large variety of waterfowl. The original waterfowl gardens with their eight pools have also been included in the Park. Many large aviaries have been built for birds of prey and other birds, including a walk- thro’ aviary housing British birds. A number of Macaws are at liberty with their headquarters in a fallen tree. A Gatehouse comprising a shop, kitchen and tea-room has been built together with a block of public lavatories. Near the tea-room an enclosure of about an acre has been made in which a number of cock pheasants of various species are exhibited together with Wallabies and Soay sheep. This Pheasant Lawn has been planted with flowering shrubs and it is hoped to increase the cock birds on view to make a really fine show. It is significant that while comparatively few members of the public pay any serious attention to pens containing individual pairs of even rarities such as Bornean Great Argus or Cabot’s Tragopan, they are impressed by this mixed collection of cock birds, especially as they are able to walk amongst them in the enclosure. In addition to the birds there are over a dozen enclosures and pens containing mammals, and more are under construction. The aim of the new Wildlife Park is not merely to provide a spectacle or to compete with existing Zoological Gardens, but to encourage the general public to take an interest in all forms of wild life and to impress upon them the need for conservation. For these reasons the theme at Great Witchingham is mainly upon showing British and European creatures under as near natural conditions as possible, with emphasis upon those species threatened with extinction in the wild. While the public is charged for admission to the Park, Members of the Trust are always welcome at any time free of charge. This privilege has already resulted in a steady rise in membership, which now stands at eleven Life Members, five Sustaining Members, 193 Ordinary Members, making a total of 209. Needless to say members of the Trust are always welcome to inspect that part of the collection which remains outside the new Park. ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT 5 The whole 26 acres of the Park has been enclosed with a vermin- proof galvanized netting fence of very heavy gauge. It is 8 feet high and has an overhang both inwards and outwards. This fence is almost a mile in length, and over ten tons of steel was used in the netting alone. At the time of going to press over 30,000 members of the general public have visited the Wildlife Park since it opened on 1st August. Mr. Arthur Jennings of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Cam¬ bridge, has continued his valuable work in conducting post-mortem examinations and Mr. Barrow has kindly prepared several skins for the Trust’s collection. Mr. John Wood, our veterinary surgeon, has given much of his time to the Trust’s work. Your Council is extremely grateful to these gentlemen for their co-operation. Once again during the year samples of egg-white from infertile eggs have been sent to Cornell University, U.S.A. to help Professor Charles Sibley in his research into the taxonomic relationship of birds by means of electro¬ phoresis of egg-white protein. The generous contribution made by Cornell University towards the mailing of these samples is gratefully acknowledged. A number of infertile eggs and chicks which suffered early mortality were sent to the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) to strengthen their collection of rarer species of pheasants. Twenty-one young Swinhoe’s (. Lophura swinhoei) were reared in the collection and negotiations are continuing with the Government of Formosa for the majority of these to be sent back to Formosa to be turned down in a protected area to reinforce the depleted wild stock of this species. The authorities there have intimated that their Government is about to pass an order protecting Swinhoe’s Pheasants in Formosa. When this operation has been completed it will constitute what is perhaps the most significant achievement by the Trust to date. This will be one of the very rare occasions when the application of Aviculture has been directly instrumental in helping to save a species threatened with extinction in the wild. A formal request has been made to the World Wildlife Fund for a grant towards the cost of packing and sending these birds by air to Formosa. Your Council is pleased to report that Mr. R. E. Moreau of the Edward Giey Institute of Field Ornithology and President of the British Ornithologists’ Union is about to conduct research into the relationship between Common Quail ( Coturnix c. coturnix ) and Japanese Quail ( Coturnix c. japonica ) and for this purpose four pairs of Common Quail have been specially imported from Spain. The generosity and assistance of Senor Alberto Duran of the Zoological Gardens, Jerez, who obtained these birds for the Trust is very much appreciated. Early this spring a new rearing lawn was laid out. It is on a new ley and measures 35 by 40 yards and is surrounded by a small mesh wire 6 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT netting fence 4 feet high. A central electric power point has been installed capable of heating twenty-seven separate brooders. One dozen Leckford type brooders have been adapted to heating by electri¬ city by means of installing heater elements. In addition some twenty smaller electric brooders are in use. After the age of seven to eight weeks the young birds are moved to a range of Whitlock fold units some sixty of which are on loan to the Trust. At the request of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association a Wild¬ life exhibit was staged at the Royal Norfolk Show on 27th and 28th June. In addition to a number of British mammals and some birds of prey, three pens of ornamental pheasants were exhibited — these were Swinhoe’s, Reeves’s ( Syrmaticus reevesi ) and Blue Eared Pheasants ( Crossoptilon auritum ) . They proved a great attraction and nearly 3,000 leaflets describing the aims of the Trust were distributed. Importations A total of thirteen birds has been imported during the past year as follows : — M. F. Vieillot’s Crested Fireback . .22 Malay Peacock Pheasant . . 2 - Ferruginous Wood Partridge . 2 2 Mikado Pheasant . . .21 The Vieillot’s Crested Firebacks (. Lophura rufa ), Malay Peacock Pheas¬ ants (. Polyplectron bicalcar atum) and Ferruginous Wood Partridge ( Calo - perdix 0. oculea) were imported through the kindness of Dr. K. C. Searle of Hong Kong. It is thought to be the first time this beautiful Wood Partridge has been imported into this country. Both pairs have settled down well. One male Mikado Pheasant ( Syrmaticus mikado ) was donated to the Trust by Drs. Dien Zuh-Ming and Liu Yen of Taiwan Museum. In the same consignment they sent a pair of Mikado Pheasants to our Member, Mr. A. J. Swain of Bedford. Mr. Swain most generously presented these two birds to the Trust. The collection has therefore been enriched by three wild-caught Mikados which, with any luck, should greatly increase our chances of saving this exceptionally rare species which is in grave danger of extinction in the wild. Your Council is most grateful to Mr. Swain for his kindness. Drs. Dien Zuh-Ming and Liu Yen have been made Hon. Members of the Trust in recognition of their co-operation and help. The Trust was able to help Mr. Newton Steel to import two more female Mikado pheasants from a dealer in Taipei. Our Member, Mr. J. Rawlings of Holt, Norfolk, imported some Grey Francolin (. Francolinus afer swynnertoni) from S. Rhodesia and presented one pair to the Trust, for which your Council is most grateful. Some Rock Partridge (. Alectoris graeca ) eggs were received from the ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT 7 Chief Forest Officer in Cyprus. From these four chicks were success¬ fully reared. The following Zoos have kindly quarantined birds for the Trust : — Belle Vue, Manchester — Mr. Legge Paignton — Mr. Cahill Without their help it would have been impossible to import any birds and your Council is extremely grateful for their co-operation. Collection The following is a list of eggs laid and young birds reared : — Eggs. Hatched. Reared. Temminck’s Tragopan .... 12 3 3 Cabot’s Tragopan .... 8 4 4 Common Koklass .... 33 13 1 1 Tonkinese Red Junglefowl 26 9 3 Silver Pheasant .... 63 31 25 Swinhoe’s Pheasant .... 42 25 21 Elliot’s Pheasant .... 14 0 0 Mikado Pheasant .... 2 0 0 Reeves’s Pheasant .... 48 17 10 Golden Pheasant ..... 36 21 16 ,, ,, yellow mutation . Lady Amherst’s Pheasant 51 34 22 7 0 0 Common Peafowl .... 1 1 2 2 Rock Partridge (received from Cyprus) . 16 5 5 Californian Crested Quail 93 5i 40 Bobwhite Quail ..... 23 485 12 227 7 169 It will be observed no eggs were laid by Edwards’s Pheasants (. Lophura edwardsi ) or Brown Crossoptilon ( Crossoptilon mantchuricum ) and very few by the Temminck’s Tragopan ( Tragopan temmincki). These are all old birds from the original Leckford collection and they must now be considered too old to be of any further use as breeding stock. This is all the more regrettable when it is remembered that none of these species has, as far as is known, been bred outside the Trust’s collection this year. Unless fresh importations of these birds can soon be made they will doubtless quickly become extinct as captive species in this country. One male Edwards’s was bred by Mr. F. E. B. Johnson from a pair of the Trust’s birds in his care. For the second year running three Cabot’s Tragopan ( Tragopan cahoti ) were reared from the original pair sent by Dr. K. C. SearJe and once again all appear to be hens. Eleven young Common Koklass ( Pucrasia m. macrolopha ) were reared, two males and nine females, thus bringing the number of pairs in the collection to five. Three young Tonkinese Red Junglefowl ( Gallus g. jabouillei ) were reared from the wild-caught birds imported from China. 8 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT Once again infertility continues to be the greatest single problem in building up a captive stock of any species. Continuous in-breeding over many generations is no doubt the cause in the majority of cases, but other factors must not be overlooked. For example, the wild caught pair of unrelated Cabot’s Tragopan produced four eggs in their first clutch, all of which hatched. Their second clutch of three eggs were all infertile. The wild-caught Red Junglefowl laid four clutches, but only the first and third contained any fertile eggs. It would seem possible that in these cases the male was starting to lose breeding condition soon after the first clutch had been laid. Some forty Californian Crested Quail (. Lophortyx c. calif ornica) and a number of Bobwhite Quail ( Colinus virginianus) have been reared. Two species new to the collection have recently been received in exchange from Mr. F. E. B. Johnson, these are a pair of Hume’s Bar¬ tailed Pheasant ( Syrmaticus h. humiae) and a pair of Sonnerat’s Jungle- fowl ( Gallus sonnerati). As described elsewhere in this report Mr. Johnson has successfully bred Hume’s Bar- tailed Pheasant for the first time in this country and your Council is pleased to congratulate him. Mr. Johnson has donated one pair of Swinhoe’s pheasant to be included in the shipment for Formosa and Mr. J. Rawlings has donated three young Blue Crossop tilons. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. The Trust’s collection now consists of 378 birds, of forty-nine forms, excluding mutations. The following is a list of birds in the collection as at 1st December, 1962 : — Satyr Tragopan {Tragopan satyr a) . .... Temminck’s Tragopan ( Tragopan temmincki) . Cabot’s Tragopan ( Tragopan caboti) .... Common Koklass ( Pucrasia m. macrolopha ) Himalayan Monal ( Lophophorus impeyanus) Tonkinese Red Junglefowl {Gallus g. jab ouillei) Ceylon Junglefowl ( Gallus lafayettei) .... Sonnerat’s Junglefowl ( Gallus sonnerati ) .... Black-breasted Kalij ( Lophura leucomelana lathami ) Silver Pheasant ( Lophura n. nycthemera ) . . . . Edwards’s Pheasant (. Lophura edwardsi ) .... Swinhoe’s Pheasant ( Lophura swinhoei ) .... Lesser Bornean Crested Fireback (. Lophura i. ignita) . Greater Bornean Crested Fireback (. Lophura ignita nobilis ) . Vieillot’s Crested Fireback ( Lophura ignita rufa) Szechuan White Eared Pheasant ( Crossoptilon c. crossoptilori) Brown Eared Pheasant ( Crossoptilon mantchuricum ) Blue Eared Pheasant ( Crossoptilon auritum) Elliot’s Pheasant ( Syrmaticus ellioti) .... Mikado Pheasant ( Syrmaticus mikado ) .... Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant ( Syrmaticus h. humiae ) . Scintillating Copper Pheasant ( Syrmaticus soemmerringi scintillans ) Reeves’s Pheasant ( Syrmaticus reevesi ) .... Southern Caucasus Pheasant ( Phasianus c. colchicus) . Kirghiz Pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus mongolicus ) Golden Pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus ) .... ,, ,, ,, ,, yellow mutation M. F. Total 1 1 2 6 6 12 1 5 6 6 9 15 303 325 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 22 24 46 8412 16 14 30 — 22 1 2 3 1 2 3 — 1 1 2 3 5 4 3 7 5 5 10 448 1 1 2 202 4812 1 1 2 1 1 2 9 15 24 16 12 28 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT 9 Lady Amherst’s Pheasant ( Chrysolophus amherstiae ) . Bornean Great Argus ( Argusianus argus grayi) . Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) ..... Black-shouldered Peafowl (Pavo cristatus var .) . Indo-Chinese Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus imperator) Malay Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum) . Roulroul Partridge (Rollulus roulroul) .... Chinese Francolin (Francolinus p. pintadeanus) . Chinese Bamboo Partridge (Bambusicola t. thoracica ) Formosan Bamboo Partridge (Bambusicola thoracica sonorivox ) Bornean Tree Partridge (Arborophila hyperythra ) Stone Partridge (Ptilopachus petrosas) .... Himalayan Chukor (Alectoris graeca chukar ) Painted Spurfowl (Galloper dix lunulata) .... Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca) ..... Indian Grey Partridge (Francolinus pondicerianus) Chinese Painted Quail (Excalf actor ia chinensis) Californian Crested Quail (Lophortyx c. californica) . Bobwhite Quail (Golinus virginianus) .... Ferruginous Wood Partridge (Caloperdix oculea) Common Quail (Coturnix c. coturnix) .... Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) .... Grey Francolin (Francolinus afer swynnertoni) M. F. Total 6410 1 1 4 6 1 1 o 2 1 1 1 2 o 1 O I 2 0 2 — I I I O I I O I I O I 1 O I 2 2 4 I O I 1 I 2 28 20 48 IO IO 20 2 2 4 448 I I 2 I I 2 P. L. W. ct o h coti et 10 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST — ANNUAL REPORT £ ^ W.S g-a -3 fl c3 !§>^ go _|| a< •-h S P CG CP^KlpqS a ^Sg bo P OT fj (U M •d _y o rf£h-I NOO o o ^ H o H CO 05 . r-' o in c.-)CO m r-' a r"» M COCO CO co o JB p C/2 a ’J3 to u O a s bO a o .y u a 2 I T3 I g P m . TJ to S X) „ ^ .P y O H c+h ra o P cS "S .S p y y -d jy wQ°QO« J. P. KRUIJT - WING DISPLAY IN COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS II NOTES ON WING DISPLAY IN THE COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS By J. P. Kruijt (Zoological Laboratory, Groningen, Netherlands) Considering the courtship of Junglefowl, Beebe wrote as follows in his Monograph of the Pheasants : “ The assertion has often been made and with some truth that some of the courtship attitudes are similar to those assumed in fighting. . . . This statement is now quoted and repeated in the most sweeping manner by every dilettante writer on birds. . . . The lateral display of Junglefowl has nothing to do with the fighting position of birds, which is essentially frontal. Even when two cocks are approaching one another and circling for an opening, the resemblance between the two motor phenomena is extremely remote.” Despite this strong denial, the idea of similarity between fighting and courtship patterns has continued to appear, and has now become firmly established. During the past ten years, Tinbergen and other ethologists have shown convincingly that in courting animals tendencies to attack, to flee, and to behave sexually are aroused simultaneously by the presence and activities of the partner. The animal cannot completely obey these tendencies all at the same time, because the motor patterns belonging to these tendencies are often partly or entirely incompatible. One of the ways in which courting animals solve their conflicts is to compromise : they show a little of the one and a little of the other tendency, so that in the end they do something in between. The principle of compromise has proved to be extremely valuable for the understanding of courtship patterns even to such an extent that the remote resemblances mentioned by Beebe become meaningful and can no longer be ignored. In studying the courtship of Burmese Red Junglefowl ( Gallus g. spadiceus ) I came to the conclusion that it is applicable to this species also. The cock which takes the initiative in a fight with another cock approaches the opponent with his body kept high and erect (Fig. iA) and while jumping up at him, he flaps his wings vigorously (Fig. iB). The loser of the fight runs away with his body kept low and flat, and his wings folded (Fig. iA). Now when the two cocks are well matched, attack and escape are both aroused in each cock and the two tendencies keep each other in balance. In such a situation side display occurs (Fig. iG). A cock in side display neither approaches, nor withdraws. He does something in between and circles around the opponent. While walking, the legs are often crossed : the nearest leg walks away ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT Fig. ib J. P. KRUIJT - WING DISPLAY IN COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS 13 Fig. ig Fig. id Fig. 1. Postures during fighting of cockerels of Burmese Red Junglefowl. Drawings by L. Hoekstra (after photographs). 14 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT and the leg on the far side walks toward the opponent. The body- posture is oblique : the near side is held low as if the bird was fleeing and the far side is held high as if the bird was approaching to attack. All these components can be understood as compromises between attack and escape : the tendency to escape is expressed in the body-half nearest the opponent and the tendency to attack in the body-half further away. Side display begins to be shown during fighting when the cockerels are two months old. At this age, side display is sometimes continued during a fight into a full waltzing or wing-flutter performance (Fig. iD) . This consists of close circling in side display, with a peculiar movement of the far wing superimposed. The far wing is kept tight against the body, but the hand of the wing is extended downward, so that the primaries are spread and touch the ground. The foot of that side steps through the extended primaries, producing a rasping sound. This movement (although I can not give the full arguments here) can again be understood as a compromise between attack and escape : upper and lower arm of the outer wing remain folded (as in escaping birds) and the hand is spread (as in the wing-flapping of attacking birds). All three parts remain folded in the nearest wing, which is consistent with the stronger escape expressed in this body-half. Cockerels of two months old may also show incomplete attempts to copulate with other chicks. Side display and waltzing are never associated with this sexual behaviour ; they occur exclusively during fighting at this stage. With later age, side display and waltzing disappear to a great extent from the fighting context ; they are then mainly used in the courtship of the cock toward the female. The relations between courtship and fighting are then remote indeed, and it is very understandable that Beebe, who did not know the develop¬ mental history of these displays, denied a connexion. Waltzing in adult Junglefowl functions as a signal during courtship. The oblique attitude of the cock results in a conspicuous display of the bright neck and saddle feathers. By his sudden circling and the rasping sound produced by the movements of the far leg through the lowered primaries, the cock stimulates the hen to crouch, after which copulation may follow. In looking at the courtship of other pheasants, one finds that wing display is present in many species, but the form of it is often strikingly different. In most species it seems to function as a signal during courtship but, parallel to the differences in form, this effect is often achieved in different ways. I will give a few examples of wing display in other species. J. P. KRUIJT - WING DISPLAY IN COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS 1 5 Fig. 2a Fig. 2. Wing postures during courtship of various species of Phasianidae. Drawings by L. Hoekstra (after photographs and film). D is redrawn after R. D. Taber, Condor , 51, 1949, p. 157. Elliot’s Pheasant ( Syrmaticus ellioti ) : Fig. 2A. The position of both wings in the lateral display of this species is strongly asymmetric. This is partly a result of the tilted back, but even if this factor is subtracted, the upper and lower arm of the far wing appear to be raised more than the corresponding parts of the nearest wing. I think that this is often so in Pheasants with asymmetric wing display, even when the primaries of either inner or outer wing are spread. It is also true, for example, of Junglefowl. In the Elliot’s Pheasant, the white markings of the wings are beautifully emphasized by their position during display : it therefore seems probable that the display acts as a visual signal. i6 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT Golden Pheasant [Chrysolophus pictus) : Fig. 2B The well known lateral display of this species depends mainly on the neck ruff, which is fanned out at the side of the female, but the wings also play their part in producing a highly conspicuous visual effect. The cock hops and runs around the female and the final display is adopted for only a second or so. During this brief moment the wings are brought in an asymmetrical position, essentially similar to that of Elliot’s Pheasant. Here, however, the movement does not serve to emphasize structures on the wing itself, but lifting of the outer wing has the effect that the elongated, golden-coloured feathers of the back are pushed upward, permitting the female on the other side a full view. The climax of this display (see arrow in Fig. 2B) is syn¬ chronized with vocal hissing. J. P. KRUIJT— WING DISPLAY IN COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS I? Fig. 2g Reeves’s Pheasant ( Syrmaticus reevesi) : Fig. 2C In this species the folded wings are again held asymmetrically during courtship. Side display may be adopted while the male is several metres from the female. He then suddenly hops sideways towards her and while hopping, the folded far wing is tilted upward, probably by a turning movement of the upper and lower arm. The visible surface of the cock as seen from the side is considerably increased by the position of the wings ; this probably makes the display potent as a visual signal. Ring-necked Pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus torquatus) : Fig. 2D Here the wing display is very similar to that of the Junglefowl, but instead of the outer, the inner wing is lowered. I have seen this display, i8 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT but at the time I was not yet aware of the importance of details. The drawing of Taber also does not permit detailed description, but it seems clear that the main movement is an extension of the primaries. The display probably acts as a visual signal, and again, the movement is accompanied with vocal hissing. Painted Quail ( Excalfactoria chinensis) : Fig. 2E The outer wing is lowered during courtship of this species. The posture differs from waltzing of Junglefowl, however, in that not only the hand, but also the lower arm is completely extended. As a result, the wing is extended more backward than downward, and no sound- producing contact between the outer leg and wing is made. It is puzzling how this display could act as a signal : no conspicuous visual effect is produced either. Another aspect of the display of Painted Quail is equally puzzling. Whereas in most Pheasants the body-half nearest the partner is kept lowest during display, the reverse is true in Painted Quail. Thus, it appears that some species incline their body toward and others away from the partner and which of the two occurs is not related in a simple way with the side where parts of the wing are extended. Many other examples could be given and although the published accounts of courtship in Pheasants often do not go into great detail, one gets the impression that the variety is very large. Every attitude J. P. KRUIJT - WING DISPLAY IN COURTSHIP OF PHEASANTS 19 Fig. 2e that the wings are mechanically capable of assuming seems to be realized in one species or another, especially when the comparison is extended to Gallinaceous birds not belonging to the Pheasants. Moreover, wing display occurs commonly in the courtship of birds in general. I think it likely that in several of the examples shown, the wing display originated in the same way as in Junglefowl, as the result of a conflict between wing-folding and wing-flapping. In some species, the tendency to fold the wings predominates during the display and the tendency to unfold them, expresses itself at most in a slight, often asymmetric, shifting of the position of the wing-bones of both wings. In other species, parts of one or both wings may be raised or lowered to a greater extent. The result is that the forms of wing display differ greatly from species to species, but many of them could, in principle at least, be due to the same sort of conflict occurring in Junglefowl. It must be concluded that, if this is the case, each species has solved this conflict in its own, more or less unique way. It is of course quite possible that in some species the origin of wing display is different. For example, in some species the wing display may be derived from balancing movements, necessary to compensate for imminent loss of equilibrium when the bird assumes an oblique posture. Detailed study of each species and of the differences between species will be necessary to find out this. Such detailed studies will probably only be made by ethologists, who are trained in analysing 20 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT behaviour, have the opportunity to devote their time to this task, and can profit from the facilities of a research institute. However, before these people can start with the analysis, it is necessary to have a good descriptive inventory of the behaviour. This is a point where I believe aviculturists could contribute in many important ways. As far as Pheasants are concerned, a good deal of the courtship is already known, but many of the published descriptions are of little use to the ethologist. Vague descriptions like bobbing or waggling of the head and dragging or drooping of the wings are too ambiguous to have any significance for meaningful comparison of differences between species. I would like to give one or two suggestions which might lead to improvement in this matter. First of all, the observer who is interested in describing behaviour should try to get an analytical eye. For example, in describing movements of wings, he should remember that a bird has two wings and both do not always behave in the same way. He should also realize that a wing is not just an unstructured bone with attached muscles, skin, and feathers. He should be aware while observing that the wing consists of three parts and a good description should take this into account. If this is kept in mind, the observer will realize that the statement : “ the wing is lowered 55 is not satisfactory, if in fact the primaries only were spread. Second, it is important to make notes immediately while one is observing. I have experienced that any record I make in retrospect is likely to be a distortion of what really happened. Probably other people have been victims of the same human weakness : I know of at least three authors (and they were trained scientists !), who described that waltzing of the domestic cock involves lowering of the wing turned toward the female. Such gross mistakes are avoided if one records the behaviour while observing it, either verbally or in drawing, or better still, with photographs and film. Especially the latter techniques are often very useful because many of the rituals of courtship are too complicated and occur too rapidly to be caught correctly with the naked eye. Of course one can think of many refinements in describing the details of behaviour patterns, such as measuring speed, frequency, or amplitude of movements. Eventually, when our knowledge proceeds, such refinements will be necessary and the work involved in describing the behaviour will then move more and more out of reach of the aviculturist and become the task of the ethologist. At present, however, our descriptions are still not very sophisticated and every keen observer can make new discoveries. The clear descriptions by D. Goodwin, appearing in this Magazine, are good examples of the kind we need for many more species of birds. J. J. YEALLAND - THE BLACK FRANCOLIN 21 THE BLACK FRANCOLIN (. Francolinus francolinus ) ByJ. J. Yealland (London, England) The Black Partridge, Black Francolin or Common Francolin ranges from Cyprus to the hills of Manipur, seven races being recognized. It is said to have lived as far westward as southern Spain as well as other parts of the Mediterranean area, but it has long since vanished from there except for the island of Cyprus where, so Dr. and Mrs. Bannerman [Birds of Cyprus , 1958) were told, “ the francolin is now making an excellent recovery both in the Paphos reserve and in the Karpas.” Hume and Marshall ( Game Birds of India, Burmah and Ceylon , 1879, ii) wrote at length about this bird, but largely about the shooting of it, for it offered “ pretty sport ” and in places where it was then still abundant “ fifty brace may still be bagged in a single day by a single sportsman ”. It is, they say, to be found “ not only in the plains and lesser chains of hills, but in all the lower outer ranges of the Himalayas, and in the river valleys running far into these, up to elevations, at any rate in summer, of from 5,000 to 7,000 feet”. Further westward it was said to be common “ in the tamarisk jungles and reed beds of Mesopotamia ”. The call of the Black Francolin is a familiar sound in the places where it is at all common. It is said to live in pairs, only being in coveys (presumably in family parties) at the end of the breeding season and then only for a short time. Various small animal life such as beetles, spiders, termites, snails, insect life, and larvae, together with seeds, small fruits, and tender shoots of plants form the diet. The breeding season of the Indian birds is said by Jerdon to be from May to July, ten or twelve eggs being the usual clutch. These appear to be variable in colour, greenish-white, bluish-white, pale olive-green, pale fawn, and chocolate being the colours recorded. Albinos and albinistic specimens were “ not very uncommon ” and Hume and Marshall report the occurrence of hybrids between this and Francolinus pictus , the Southern or Painted Francolin. The first recorded breeding in captivity in this country was pub¬ lished in the Avicultural Magazine (New Series, vol. vi, 1908) and the Society’s medal was presented to the breeder, Mr. C. Barnby Smith, during the following year, though why this was done is not clear, for the hen Francolin, after laying four eggs, took no further interest in them, and they were incubated and the chicks reared entirely by a bantam. 22 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT BREEDING HUME’S BAR-TAILED PHEASANT By F. E. B. Johnson (Bedford, England) The pheasants of the genus Syrmaticus have always been popular because of their long tails and similarity in shape to the game pheasants which they combine with bold markings and distinctive patterns. In view of this it is strange that the Bar-tailed Pheasant, Syrmati¬ cus humiae , has not been established in captivity in the Western Hemisphere. The species is divided into two subspecies : Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant, Syrmaticus humiae humiae , occurring in the Naga Hills and in that part of northern Burma lying west of the Irrawaddy ; and the Burmese Bar-tailed Pheasant, S. h. burmanicus, found in south-western Yunnan and Northern Burma. For a full description I would refer readers to Delacour’s The Pheasants of the World , pp. 213, 214. Briefly, Hume’s Pheasant is similar to Elliot’s Pheasant but with the following differences : in the male Hume’s the underparts are rich brown, not white ; the brown of the upper parts is rich plum-mahogany, not chestnut as in Elliot’s, and the blue-black of the upper parts is steel blue in Hume’s. The throat and neck of the cock Hume’s are black. The tail is barred dark grey and rich brown and black. The feathers of the neck have a metallic subterminal patch as in the Mikado. In general appearance the cock, in particular, seems to be pro¬ portionately much broader across the shoulders than Elliot’s and both sexes fan their tails more frequently. These birds are quite as hardy as the other species in the genus. My pairs of Hume’s are housed in the same type of aviaries as the Elliot’s Pheasants and these conditions seem to suit the birds as, on 29th April, I found a broken egg under one of the perches in the morning. On the same day the hen of this pair made a scraping in the back of the small shelter. She then laid two more eggs, on 1st May and 3rd May. These eggs were placed under a bantam but proved infertile. From 5th May to 18th May she laid seven more eggs which were placed under a bantam on 18th May. On 14th June two Hume’s chicks hatched ; the remaining five eggs were infertile. This hen continued to lay and five more eggs were placed under a bantam on 28th May. From these eggs four chicks hatched on 24th June. The incubation period is, therefore, twenty-seven days as in the Mikado Pheasant, S. mikado , and not twenty-five days as with Elliot’s Pheasant, S. ellioti. The chicks were very similar to Elliot’s Cl have never seen Mikado F. E. B. JOHNSON - MUTATIONS OF THE GOLDEN PHEASANT 23 chicks) but were extremely wild and lively ; in fact, when put into a coop and run with their foster mother they persisted for some minutes in banging themselves on the wire-netting of the run and I had great difficulty in persuading them to go under the bantam. Eventually they did so, however, and I am pleased to be able to say that from then on they proved quite easy to rear on a diet of “ Turkey Starter ” crumbs but with a liberal supply of mealworms. They grew a little more slowly than Elliot’s but the cocks were in adult plumage by the age of about five months. They therefore take the adult plumage in the first year. One point of interest should be mentioned : although the chicks were so wild when young they gradually gained confidence in their surroundings and are now much tamer than my young Elliot’s of approximately the same age. In conclusion, Hume’s Pheasant is a striking and beautiful bird, quite as beautiful as either of its near relations, Elliot’s Pheasant and the Mikado Pheasant. It is somewhat intermediate in appearance between these other two species but can easily be distinguished from hybrids between them. It is hoped that many pheasant enthusiasts will take up the species so that it may at last become established in our aviaries. * * * MUTATIONS OF THE GOLDEN PHEASANT By F. E. B. Johnson (Bedford, England) Since very early times the Golden Pheasant has been a favourite with aviculturists and has been common in captivity in Europe since the eighteenth century. It is probably more numerous in captivity than in the wild. Most birds that have been bred in captivity for many generations tend to give rise to mutations or colour variations. It is therefore not surprising that two striking mutations have arisen in the case of the Golden Pheasant [Chrysolophus pictus). Before I describe these mutations I feel that a word should be said on the subject in general as it applies to aviculture. A number of aviculturists condemn in the same breath all hybrids and mutations. While hybridizing between two species is only excusable under very special circumstances, mutations are entirely a product of nature and have as much right to be admired and preserved as the original species. The fact that many of them can only be preserved in captivity and would die out in the wild makes them not a whit the less interesting. 24 ORNAMENTAL PHEASANT TRUST - ANNUAL REPORT The first Golden Pheasant mutation to appear was the form known as the dark-throated or black-throated Golden Pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus mut. ohscurus ). It occurred in Amsterdam Zoo some time before the year 1928. It corresponds to the much more familiar “ Melanistic Mutant ” ( Phasianus colchicus mut. tenebrosus ) of the game pheasant. The close parallel is easily shown by the colour of the newly-hatched chicks which are dark chocolate brown with whitish markings about the head and underparts in the above forms of both species. The main differences between the dark-throated and normal Golden Pheasant are as follows : adult male dark-throated : — (1) The throat and upper breast are black or blackish. (2) The central rectrices are barred with alternate bars of black and dark olive brown as are the outer rectrices. It should be noted, however, that the barring is not of the same type as in the tail of the Amherst Pheasant. (3) The whole of the remainder of the plumage is slightly darker in shade throughout. In the hen the whole colour is dark chocolate brown but with the usual markings of the normal hen. The yellow Golden Pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus mut. luteus) is of more recent occurrence ; the present world stock having been multiplied by Professor Ghigi from a bird obtained by him from Eastern Europe. The yellow Golden is a striking and beautiful bird and can be considered a “ dilute 55 of the normal colour. In the adult male all the parts that are normally bright red are bright yellow. The crest is yellow. The ruff and green feathers of the mantle are as in the normal golden pheasant but slightly paler in shade. The blue bars of the wings are dull purplish-brown. The central pair of rectrices are spotted as in the normal Golden Pheasant but the spots are cream and the ground colour is fawn. The hen is cream in colour with fawn markings as is the first-year male but the latter has a yellow cast about the face and throat. As is often the case when a new mutation or aberration occurs, suggestions are put forward that the colour changes are due to hybridization. In the two cases mentioned above there seems to be no evidence that any crossing with the Amherst Pheasant has given rise to these colour changes. The strain of dark- throated Goldens that exists in this country at the present time appears to be particularly pure. These birds are very small (as all good Golden Pheasants should be) and, when mated to normal Goldens of good appearance, the resultant male progeny (not dark-throated but carrying the factor in recessive form) have tails which are regularly and finely spotted. While, when the breeding is carried to the next stage (dark-throated C. M. PAYNE— BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURACO 25 male to split hens or vice versa) all the progeny are either dark- throated or normal in appearance and the former have the correctly striped tail. There are none intermediate in appearance. In the yellow Golden, specimens do not occur with part red, part yellow breasts and when these occur among normal Goldens they are usually an indication of impurity. It is to be hoped that others will breed these interesting birds ; possibly to be rewarded one day by the appearance of an even more beautiful further stage in either mutation. * * * BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURACO ( Turacus corythaix) Claude M. Payne (Barford, Warwickshire, England) Touracos are restricted to Africa and there are about twenty species of which four, including the Knysna, are found in South Africa where they are known as Louries. The Knysna Touraco occurs only in the lush evergreen forests of Knysna eastwards to Natal. The head, neck and breast, are green of an iridescent quality, there is a white line under the eye, the back wings and tail are iridescent green with blue reflec¬ tions, the crest is rounded tipped with white, the scapulars, wing- coverts and innermost secondaries are violet, blue and green, the greater part of the flight-feathers are crimson with the edges dark blue, the eye brown, the bare skin round the eye red, bill orange-red, and feet and toes black. Sexes are alike. The juvenile plumage is similar to the adult, but much duller, and there are no white tips to the crest. The bill is dull brown and the skin round the eye dusky. The crimson in the wings contains turacin a copper-based pigment, said to be soluble in water, a fact, if such it is, which I have failed to prove, although many feathers have been immersed in water and in various solutions. Is it a scientific fact or an oft repeated, and thereby semi¬ fairy tale ? During the late summer of 1959, 1 believe a few pairs of this beautiful Touraco were to be seen in dealers’ shops in England. There is, I under¬ stand, a very interesting story as to how the birds were caught and sent here, notwithstanding the heavy penalties imposed on trappers. How¬ ever, the story, interesting as it may be, does not entitle it to a place in this magazine. But what does concern the Society is that in 1959 I saw a number of birds for sale, and being all together in a large cage, made a truly wonderful sight. The only Touracos I have possessed were a pair of Hartlaub’s which are considerably smaller than the majestic Knysnas. I had found the Hartlaub’s easy to feed, house and manage, so the desire to possess a pair of Knysnas was not readily 26 G. M. PAYNE - BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURAGO quelled. I looked long and hard at the birds who eyed me back in their inimitable fashion ; perhaps who knows, weighing me up in much the same way as I was weighing up my chances of choosing a pair. Touracos have tremendously powerful feet and legs, and propel themselves through the air from perch to perch by strong muscular leg action, helped by one wing beat half-way between the two perches. They also have the habit of running rather than hopping along a branch. The feet are zygodactylous, that is to say, they can place two claws each side of a branch, or three forward and one to the rear, and so obtain considerable grip and purchase for their flying leaps. They are by nature active birds, particularly in the mornings and early evenings, when the male bird, I believe the male only, makes the characteristic noise from which the word Touraco is derived, i.e. “ Cou Cou Cou 55 repeated in the same key many times over. I am travelling on with my tale a little too fast perhaps, but two birds, which I hoped would be a pair, were duly deposited in one of my planted aviaries containing a tangle of vegetation growing through stout branches of hazel-nut and apple tree. The aviary is one of a group built round a wooden shelter and divided into six compartments. Incidentally as two other flights in the group have already had their moment of fame, having been the birth-place of two other first breedings, one can only surmise that something in the make-up of this aviary has an influence on the virility of the inmates. The shelter for the compartment in which the Touracos were placed is 4 feet square and the flight about 15 by 10 feet. The birds did very well in their new surroundings, feeding freely on bananas, grapes, pears and any other fruit as became available, including mulberries. They were in such good condition and feather that I decided to leave them out for the winter, as it turned out with no ill effects, in fact, the birds came through in absolutely wonderful fettle, and the early Spring dawns were heralded by the not unmusical sonorous call. At this time I had no thoughts of breeding, but as each Spring arrives my hopes rise, that I may once again be successful with one or other of the pairs which have not been bred before. However, my hopes, such as they were, were soon dispersed — one Touraco killed the other. The dead bird was found with its head broken open. It was fairly obvious that I had chosen two cock birds. I thought there was little chance of obtaining another bird, particu¬ larly a hen, and for the summer, or at least until the August, the surviving cock bird had other birds for companions. In August, however, I saw an advertisement offering a Knysna Touraco for sale by my good friend Alan Griffiths, who very kindly let me have the bird although neither he nor I had any idea of its sex. I was afraid to put the two birds together until the new arrival had settled down, and therefore gave it a somewhat smaller aviary adjoining C. M. PAYNE - BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURAGO 27 that of the other Touraco, where the birds could see each other and pass such pleasantries as Touracos are wont to do. So things remained until the Spring of 1961 when on one rather pleasant quiet day I took the plunge and placed the Griffiths bird in the aviary with the cock, prior to this removing all the other inmates. Imagine my delight and satis¬ faction when immediately the old bird “ cou ”, “ coued ” for a short spell and then fed the new-comer by regurgitation. I felt that this time I had a true pair. As days passed and the power of the Spring sun increased, so did the cry of the Touracos. Then at the highest point in the shelter I put up a contraption, made of thin saplings and the last-year runners from the Russian Vine made to resemble an open nest, and into this saucer-like shape I put a handful of straw and rootlets. Some weeks went by and the noise became more constant and prolonged until at last my bird-man, Mr. Beck, reported that when he was feeding the birds in the aviary he had seen a bird leave the nest. After this I made a habit of examining the nest at frequent intervals until one morning in May a white egg was seen through the rather sparse covering of the twigs which formed the base of the man-made nest. Not daring to interfere or remove the egg for examination, I left the birds alone for a week, after which I explored the nest again, hoping to find at least one other egg. But, alas, there was none, and search as one would, no shell or any indication that there had been an egg was to be found. This ended the breeding attempts for 1961, although the birds maintained a very close companionship and the cock continued to call, but again only in the mornings and evenings during the Summer. As in the Winter of 1960-61 so in the Winter of 1961-62 the birds were left in the aviary open to all weathers and without heat. And so to the Spring of 1962 when hopes of a successful first breeding ran high, as both birds had come through the severe weather which we experi¬ enced in late December and early January in first-rate condition. This year instead of the pseudo-nest in the shelter, I constructed, with the aid of wire netting and some evergreens a very passable nest in the corner of the flight near the top of the aviary. I was elated when, almost before I had closed the aviary door behind me, one bird scrambled along the branches and peered into the clump of evergreens, and later that day was seen actually inside and settling in the depression in the wire in which I had placed some twigs and dried grass. Both birds showed great interest in the nest, and after about three weeks the first egg was seen. From this time on the hen bird only left the nest during the day for a minute or so, about 4.30 in the afternoon, although she may well have done so early in the mornings. I thought on one or two occasions that the cock bird was doing his share of the 28 C. M. PAYNE - BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURAGO incubating, but could never be certain, as the birds are so much alike. The hen, or the cock, if indeed he did help with the incubating, sat so close that I never knew if more than one egg was laid. Some four weeks after the incubation began, Mr. Beck gave me the glad news that a young one had hatched. It seems he was walking in the garden and happened to pass the aviary and saw the hen bird was off the nest. Peering through the branches he saw a dark object which moved, and wisely he retired quickly and left the birds alone. I saw the young bird myself on the following day and at a guess it was about seven days old. It was covered in a dark brown, almost black, fluff, and its eyes were open. The hen bird brooded continually and only left the nest to feed, and then only for a few moments, until the young one was about three weeks old, when I was able to observe the growth and develop¬ ment. At this time the crest was beginning to form and if I got too close the young bird hissed and struck out as if to defend itself. One month after hatching I found the youngster still in the nest, but cold. Obviously the hen had deserted, so I brought the young one into the hospital cage at about 8o° F. and it soon recovered. It was then noticed that it could not stand, as one leg was thrust forward at an angle. Perhaps that is why the hen deserted ; because of this deformity the young one could not leave the nest. It was a very large if somewhat ugly baby. I attempted to hand-rear the bird but without success. As I was going on holiday that day, I took the bird with me and fed it at fre¬ quent intervals during the journey, but either the food — banana and crushed grape — was too cold, or the car journey too rough, for it brought back most of the food and although it appeared to pick up during the evening, it was dead next morning. Some three weeks after the hen deserted the first young one, she again sat on the nest and the cock bird spent most of his time close by, fre¬ quently calling. A day or so later, on 28th July, 1962, the first egg was seen, and two days later there were two. The eggs resembled table- tennis balls, being roughly that size, pure white, and without gloss, perhaps not quite so round but not noticeably oval either. The hen sat steadily until 20th August, 1962, when a young one was seen. Two days later two young were seen, their eyes wide open with their heads through their mother’s wing as one often sees chickens. They appeared strong and healthy so my hopes rose for a success this time. The old birds were being fed the usual mixture of cut fruit, particularly banana, and I then gave them a pot of a proprietary soft- bill food which they seemed to like, so much so that large quantities of the soft food were consumed. This pattern of feeding continued for about fourteen days when a return was made to the fruit. The young at this time were showing distinct quill and tail feathers, although very few feathers appeared on the body. The general feathering pattern C. M. PAYNE - BREEDING THE KNYSNA TOURAGO 29 did not appear to follow as both wings and tail grew without any attendant increase in the body feathers. The birds continued to thrive, until they were about one month old when one young one was found dead in the nest. It was quite flattened, and it was therefore impossible to say whether death was due to a lack of food. The following day the remaining young one left the nest, and the hen was seen brooding the bird during the late evening on a low branch. The next day the young bird spent most of its time on the ground. The old birds were very excited and from observations which were then made they were seen to visit the young one every few minutes. No feeding took place so far as it was possible to ascertain, during the short time in which the birds were closely observed. Unfortunately on the following afternoon the weather turned cold and we had a very heavy downpour of rain. The hen was seen brooding the young bird but, nevertheless, after the storm it was found in a dis¬ tressed condition on the aviary floor. Drastic action had to be taken, and the young bird was brought into the hospital cage with consider¬ able heat. It was a very bedraggled object, just a few feathers among the fluff on the body and the rain sodden tail and wings, but after a time it perked up and became quite lively. A few drops of brandy were given and this no doubt helped to ward off a chill. A mixture of sponge cake and milk was prepared and fed very hot to the bird, it lunged at the spoon and removed the food. A pot of cut bananas and grapes was placed in the cage and it was not long before it decided to help itself. It had a voracious appetite, and a tremendous gape. For safety’s sake it was left in the hospital cage for about seven days and then placed in the birdroom in much less heat where it continued to make progress. At the time of writing, although now covered in feathers it still is only a shadow of what I hope it will become after its first moult. As described, Claude M. Payne has bred the Knysna Touraco Turacus corythaix. It is believed this may be a first success. Any member or reader knowing of a previous breeding of this species in Great Britain or Northern Ireland is requested to communicate at once with the Hon. Secretary. 30 W. D. CUMMINGS - THE BLUE-SHOULDERED MOUNTAIN TANAGER BREEDING THE BLUE-SHOULDERED MOUNTAIN TANAGER ( Compsocoma somptuosa) Habitat — The Andes of Ecuador and Columbia W. D. Cummings (Keston, Kent, England) Eighteen months ago at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm we were offered four Blue-shouldered Mountain Tanagers from a well-known importer, and though a little sceptical over the ability to keep tanagers. in our outdoor planted aviaries all the year we decided to try these. We thought they would be hardier and stand up to outdoor conditions better than the smaller tanagers, which generally speaking, thrive better under conservatory conditions. We put them in one of a range of planted flights with access to a shelter which is heated in the winter. The four were shut in the shelter to begin with, for they were in importation plumage and not acclima¬ tized. Three of the tanagers had pale yellow breasts and the other, the fittest of them, was a bright buttercup colour. One had a swollen foot and they were all a little puffed-up. We had received them in the month of October which is not the best month to acclimatize newly imported birds, but we need not have worried for, with very little heat, plenty of exercise and bathing facilities, and a varied diet, they very soon picked up and needed no extra attention. They varied quite a bit in size and it was not at all easy to distinguish the sexes. They are identical in colour but the hen seemed to have a finer head and beak and the flat yellow patch on top of the head is narrower in the hens. They are a little larger than the Amethyst Starling and one about the size of our English Thrush. They are pre¬ dominantly yellow, with blue shoulders and black flights, with broad blue and black through the eye. Now they are all a brilliant buttercup yellow and have the sleek tanager shape — they are really beautiful birds. Apart from their colouring, they are extremely confiding in nature and altogether make extremely attractive aviary inmates. One thing, however, is that when they are fit one has to be careful which other species of birds one mixes with them for they do tend to be aggressive. We have mixed an odd Blue-shoulder out of the breeding season with Rock Thrushes and Amethyst Starlings and we had no trouble apart from the normal amount of disagreements. We feed them with the usual insectivorous mixture and they eat this freely and since it is moistened with carrot juice we think this is the reason we keep the depth of yellow on their bodies. Apart from this, their diet consists of a few mealworms and gentles, chopped dates, W. D. CUMMINGS - THE BLUE-SHOULDERED MOUNTAIN TANAGER 3 1 soaked currants, chopped grapes and slices of pear and apple, and this is supplemented by blackberries and elderberries in the autumn. They seem to like a mixed fruit diet and sample a bit of everything. We kept the four birds together all winter and throughout the following year, for we were not sure of their sexes and anyway they appeared to agree perfectly. Towards that autumn one bird started to build a nest in a thick macracarpa fir in the flight, but it was dis¬ couraged from continuing when we started shutting them in the shelter as the nights got cold. The nest was open and cup-shaped, well made and tight fitting, made mainly with coarse grass and fibrous roots. They passed the winter without any ill effects and the temperature of the shelter was kept just above freezing. The following Spring, 1962, there seemed to be a considerable amount of activity — -following each other up and down the flight — but it was not easy to say who was doing what, for we could not tell them apart. The original brightly coloured bird was distinguishable as an obvious cock and it seemed to be following two others up and down ; so we presumed there were two cocks and a hen — and the fourth a rather disinterested spectator, another hen. However, before we could decide how to split them into pairs we found one dead in the flight and this proved to be the odd hen. So we now took a cock bird out and left the smaller of the three with the brilliant cock. She quickly built a second nest in the macracarpa fir and laid three eggs. They were large, heavily speckled on a grey-blue background. At least two young hatched and we could see how they were progressing for the bush was growing very close to the shelter and, by standing in the shelter and looking out through the entrance hole, we could see them being fed. They appeared fully fledged in just over three weeks and we anticipated a successful rearing, for both parents were extremely attentive and excellent feeders. Then one morning, while we were replenishing their live food, there appeared less activity than usual and there was no sound coming from the bush, so we thought they had left the nest. However, after a week, it was obvious the parents were not eating as much live food as they ought, and they also ceased to make their warning noises when one approached the aviary. So the flight was searched and we found one fully fledged corpse in the grass, identical in colour to the parents, only a paler yellow. The pair then went into nest again and once more the process was repeated, the youngsters disappearing when they ought to be fledging. This took us into the middle of September and since we do not give much hope to late breeding successes we did not think that there was much likelihood of success this year. The hen decided otherwise, how¬ ever, and before we could do anything about it we found she had laid two more eggs in a fourth nest in the macracarpa. We could think of no other way of avoiding the same results other than taking the cock 32 C. SMITH - THE BREEDING OF MITCHELL’S LORIKEET bird away, which we did, for we could lose nothing by it. We thought he might be killing the young as they fledged for, since they are identical in colouring, they could have been mistaken as rivals by an over attentive parent. This was just the last thing we could think of and it proved to be the case, although we have never actually seen him attacking the young. The hen bird finished rearing the two young of the third nest. She was an excellent little feeder and we need not have worried on that score. Unfortunately, the second youngster left the nest during a spell of light night frost and, although we shut the three of them in the shelter at night, we could do nothing to save it. The other surviving youngster is now independent and is a lovely, healthy bird and we think a hen. A few deeper yellow feathers are already beginning to show through the paler ones. This will now give us two pairs of these lovely birds for our collection. As described by W. D. Cummings, the Keston Foreign Bird Farm has bred the Blue-shouldered Mountain Tanager Compsocoma somp - tuosa. It is believed that this may be a first success. Any member or reader knowing of a previous breeding of this species in Great Britain or Northern Ireland is requested to communicate at once with the Hon. Secretary. * * * THE BREEDING OF MITCHELL’S LORIKEET ( Trichoglossus haematod mitchellii ) C. Smith (Bradford, Yorkshire, England) Mitchell’s Lorikeets are about 8 inches long with nigger brown head faintly tinged with green. The bill is orange. The cock has a brilliant red breast while the hen is slightly less brilliant with a tinge of yellow. The red is succeeded by a very dark blue-black abdomen, followed by yellow and green underneath. They have a pale green collar and the cock has a blackish band of feathers and green back, rump and tail. Underside of wings is red and yellow, wing tips black. The birds were housed in a 10 feet long by 6 feet high by 2 ft. 6 in. wide flight with no other occupants. Feeding and sleeping quarters were in the adjacent bird room. The nest-box was hung in the outside flight about 6 feet high and facing north. The box was io inches high by 7 inches by 6 inches with a 2J inch entrance hole. A layer of small pebbles was put in the bottom covered by a layer of peat moss and rotten wood. Interest was shown in the nest-box about the beginning of May and on 14th May two eggs were seen laid on top of the bare pebbles. The birds had removed every trace of peat moss and wood. G. SMITH— THE BREEDING OF MITCHELL’S LORIKEET 33 Although the hen appeared to be in the nest-box most of the time, it would come dashing out when anyone approached. Due to the nervous disposition of the hen no inspection was made until 12 th June when the nest still contained two eggs. The hen did not return to the nest-box again so on 15th June the nest-box was opened again and the eggs were found to be cold. One egg was clear and the other contained a fully developed dead chick. The birds were seen in the box again on 22nd June but were left alone except for a quick look on 10th July when two eggs were seen. Again the hen seemed to leave the nest on the slightest excuse, so no inspection was made until 6th August. There was one chick and one egg on that date. On 14th August both eggs had hatched but one chick was much larger than the other. On 22nd August both chicks were covered with grey down. On 14th September the larger of the chicks appeared to be fully feathered, the other being only half feathered. The older chick appeared at the nest-box entrance on 27th September, and on 30th September left the box fully feathered. The parents were still visiting the nest but the second chick was found to be dead on 7th October. The young one has the brilliant red chest of the parents, but the head is very dark green and the bill is all black. The rest of the plumage is the same as the adult pair. The birds are fed twice a day with nectar, supplemented by canary seed, millet sprays and gentles which they seem to enjoy. The young one is now taking nectar from the bottle and the beak is gradually taking on a lighter colour. This year I have also bred two Jenday Conures, six Cockatiels, four Nyasa lovebirds and five Fischer’s Lovebirds but have not had any success with my Australian Parrakeets. As described, C. Smith has bred Mitchell’s Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematod mitchellii. It is believed that this may be a first success. Any member or reader knowing of a previous breeding of this species in Great Britain or Northern Ireland is requested to communicate at once with the Hon. Secretary. * * * 3 34 J. S. RIGGE - THE CRIMSON OR GREEN- WINGED MACAW BREEDING OF THE CRIMSON OR GREEN- WINGED MACAW Ara chloroptera By J. S. Rigge (Millom, Cumberland, England) This pair of Macaws were purchased by me on 7th August, 1956, and judging by the very light eye were obviously fully adult at the time. They were put in an aviary measuring 17 by 8 by 6 feet high which was only made of 18 gauge ^-in. mesh wire netting on a 2 by 2 inch wood frame ; an aviary not really considered strong enough for Macaws, but as usually happens, the only one available at the time. It would not have kept either my Illigers or Blue and Gold Macaws under control for more than a few hours but, although it is now well patched, this pair have been in it for six years. In the Spring of 1958 a nest was provided in the form of a large oak barrel butter-churn fixed horizontally on its stand. That year and in 1959 nothing happened, but on 16th May, i960, an egg appeared without warning and two more followed. The hen sat perfectly until 27th June, when I decided to inspect as no sound of young had been heard. The eggs were then found to be addled and were removed. In 1961 the first egg was laid on 18th May and a second one followed about two days later. Again the hen sat perfectly, hardly ever being seen off the nest. On 22nd June I decided to investigate and found two dead, newly-hatched young in a nest which was full of dust. The hen having chewed up the damp rotten wood and her body warmth had dried it to a very fine dust, this, I think, had asphyxiated the young. Again my hopes were dashed for another year. This year, 1962, I was determined to avoid the dusty state of the nest so I cut a large damp peat sod (we have plenty of natural peat around here) about 8 inches thick and large enough to cover the bottom of the nest. On 18th April, an egg was laid, and I think this was the only one. After letting the hen sit for five weeks I inspected the nest and found the egg contained a fully formed dead chick and I thought this would be the finish again for this year. However, the hen never left the nest and after a week or two had passed, I presumed she must have laid again and was incubating. On 7th July, a young bird was heard to squeak and on 12th July, I first saw two young birds. So as not to disturb the birds too much, I had arranged it so that I could see what was going on in the nest without going in the aviary. The parents were not too aggressive as long as you did not approach the nest, but they sat on the entrance to it and I should not like to try and move them. For a fortnight I heard the young being fed as I passed the aviary, then suddenly all was quiet and I had a feeling something had gone J. S. RIGGE - THE CRIMSON OR GREEN-WINGED MACAW 35 wrong. But I could see them quite fit and strong so all was well, but I never heard them make a sound again, I never knew anything so quiet in the nest. Feeding now became a problem as I tried everything I had heard of being used to rear Parrots etc., but the hen positively refused to look at anything except sunflower seed, a little hemp, and about five large spinach beet leaves a day, but the young seemed to be growing fast so I left it at that. The hen started to leave the nest a bit when the young were five weeks old and the red feathers were beginning to show on their heads. Up till then she had tried to brood them all day even though she could hardly cover them. I was glad to see her out for a bit as she had hardly ever left the nest from 1 8th April till i oth August, and I thought her health might suffer. The cock was seen in the nest feeding either the hen or the young once or twice, but the pair were so secretive in their goings-on that I wondered when anything ever happened. They never appeared to be doing anything when I was about, and I have never seen the cock feed the hen off the nest, but once when they were unaware of my presence I did see mating taking place and this seemed to be accomplished with the birds inclined towards each other on the perch and not by the cock mounting the hen as in other birds. The young appeared to be more or less perfectly feathered at nine weeks of age, and at this time about i lb. of seed and five large spinach beet leaves were being consumed by the family each day. The first young one left the nest on 18th October, after 103 days and the second one on 22nd October, four days later. They were almost exact replicas of the parents in size and colour except for the shorter tail, dark eye, and the lower half of the beak being only shaded with grey and not jet black as in the parents. Also the one I consider to be the male has the feathers on the nape tipped with yellowish olive and in the female these are crimson as in the adults, but whether this is a colour variation as in young Pennant’s or a sexual difference I should not like to say, but I feel certain they are a true pair as they have the same beak variation as in the adults. As described, J. S. Rigge has bred the Crimson Macaw Ara chlorop- tera. It is believed that this may be a first success. Any member or reader knowing of a previous breeding of this species in Great Britain or Northern Ireland is requested to communicate at once with the Hon. Secretary. 36 A. W. E. FLETCHER - NEWS FROM CHESTER ZOO NEWS FROM CHESTER ZOO By A. W. E. Fletcher As a footnote to the breeding results already recorded in the Maga¬ zine another Scaly-breasted Lorikeet has been reared, but both Lead- beater’s Cockatoo and King Parrakeets had eggs which failed to hatch. Although two King Penguin chicks were hatched both failed to rear — in the first place due to the death of the male parent and in the second case the young chick was killed by either a rat or a crow. New arrivals include two Single-wattled Cassowaries, which are young birds and the exact species has not yet been determined. At present they are a golden-brown in colour, but will get a great deal darker as they mature. Adult Cassowaries are extremely dangerous, and cases have been known in New Guinea of their killing natives. The inner toenail is very elongated and they have a powerful kick. Our keepers have been warned ! Two Scarlet Ibises have been added to the collection. They are immature, hand-reared birds, and still show a great deal of their brown nestling feathers, though pink is beginning to show. It is hoped that a large flight can be fitted out for the Ibises and also Bitterns, Rails, and waders. A young Occipital Blue Pie has been purchased, and as it has become very friendly with our original bird, it is hoped that we now have a true pair. Presentations include a Kestrel, an Indian Hill Mynah, an English Partridge, four Little Owls and an oiled-up immature Herring Gull. This we have managed to clean up and it can now fly and is in good fettle. Not so fortunate was a badly oiled Common Scoter drake which only survived for twenty-four hours, although eating well. A number of new enclosures and aviaries are in course of construction or are planned. Three of these enclosures are situated opposite the new Rhino House and should be completed shortly. The enclosures will contain cranes and waterfowl. The largest enclosure is about an acre-and-a-half, with a large reed-fringed pond. The other two are rather smaller and each enclosure has a small pond in it. Roomy log- cabin type sheds for winter quarters will be provided for each enclosure. The frame of a very large flight has been erected near the Birds of Prey aviary. This is 150 by 15 by 20 feet high. Exactly what will be housed here has yet to be decided. It is hoped in the near future to extend our Bird House into the area now occupied by the breeding aviaries. These aviaries have now just about reached the end of their useful life. Last but by no means least, work on the new Tropical House has commenced. This will be exciting enough to merit an article to itself LONDON ZOO NOTES 37 in a future Magazine, so I will confine myself to saying that we are all tremendously interested in its possibilities. We are now pre-occupied by all the problems of winter quarters and are keeping our fingers crossed that the next few months will be kinder than this time last year. * * * LONDON ZOO NOTES By J. J. Yealland Among the birds received during the past two months are two species new to the collection. These are the Sickle-winged Guan, Chamaepetes unicolor and Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant, Syrmaticus humiae humiae. The Sickle-winged Guan, a native of the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama, is so named because the first three primaries are very curved and the width of barb much reduced or, towards the tip, absent. One other species (C. goudotii) lives in northern South America. Hume’s Bar-tailed Pheasant inhabits the mountainous parts of northern Burma westward of the Irrawaddy. A second race (S. h. burmanicus) living eastward of the river in northern Burma, south-western Yunnan and the Shan States. Other arrivals of particular interest are two Fulvous Whistling Ducks bred by Mr. J. O. D’eath and presented by him, a Panama Curassow [fir ax r. rubra) presented by Mr. P. H. Hastings together with the Guans already mentioned, a Black-casqued Hornbill ( Ceratogymna atrata) and an African Golden Oriole. Two young Dial or Dhyal Birds (or Magpie Robins) have been presented by Mr. I. S. Horabin who bred them. * * * COUNCIL MEETING A Council Meeting was held on 12th November, 1962, at the Windsor Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London, W. 2. Officers for 1963 These were the following retirements and appointments : — Council : Dr. E. Hindle, Dr. F. B. Lake, and Mr. K. A. Norris retired by rotation. Dr. W. C. Osman Hill resigned on leaving England for permanent residence in America. Mr. C. M. Payne, Mr. E. O. Squire, Mr. Newton R. Steel, and Mr. J. J. Yealland were elected to fill the vacancies. 38 BRITISH AVICULTURISTS’ CLUB Hon. Life Members The following were elected Hon. Life Members : — Mr. C. K. Lucas, Mr. A. F. Moody, and Mr. D. G. Schuyl. Arthur A. Prestwich, Hon. Secretary. * * * BRITISH AVICULTURISTS’ CLUB The seventy-ninth meeting of the Club was held at the Windsor Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London, W. 2, on Monday, 12th November, 1962, following a dinner at 7 p.m. Chairman : Mr. K. A. Norris. Members of the Club : P. S. Bates, A. W. Bolton, Miss K. Bonner, R. A. Copley, W. D. Cummings, J. O. D’eath, A. C. Edmonds, Miss R. Ezra, Mrs. O. L. Gent, Dr. R. Gottlieb, J. Hancock, H. J. Harman, L. W. Hill, Dr. W. C. Osman Hill, F. E. B. Johnson, Dr. S. B. Kendall, Miss E. M. Knobel, C. Marler, R. F. Marshall, P. H. Maxwell, F. Mosford, Sir Crawford McCullagh, Bt., W. R. Partridge, J. W. Peel, A. A. Prestwich, D. H. S. Risdon, B. E. Robinson, R. C. J. Sawyer, H. A. Snazle, T. Spence, A. J. Swain, J. Trollope, P. L. Wayre, Mrs. G. Wheatley, Mrs. J. Williams, J. J. Yealland. Members of the Club, thirty-seven ; guests, fifteen ; total, fifty- two. J. O. D’eath showed his colour film “ East African Safari, 1961”. Arthur A. Prestwich, Hon. Secretary. The meeting arranged for 7th January, 1963, was cancelled owing to the weather. The date of the next meeting is Monday, nth March, 1963. * * * NEWS AND VIEWS W. L. E. de Alwis has been appointed Director, Zoological Gardens of Ceylon, in succession to Major A. N. Weinman. ❖ * * Kenneth Smith relinquished his position of Superintendent of the Jersey Zoo Park on 30th November, 1962. He will develop his small zoo at Exmouth, Devon, and is also negotiating for the establishment of another zoo on the south coast. * * * Walther Langberg, Copenhagen, further reports : “I think the two young Grey Parrots will leave the nest-box in a few days. I saw them looking out of the entrance-hole to-day 55 (21st August, 1962). NEWS AND VIEWS 39 A Blue and Yellow Macaw, owned by F. W. Stoddart, has come to an untimely end. Escaping from its aviary, it sought refuge in some nearby woods. There a party of army officers from Aldershot very unfortunately shot it in mistake for a pheasant. * * * The Simon Harvey Memorial Medal awarded annually by the Avicultural Society of South Australia, for the most outstanding first breeding achievement, has been awarded to R. W. McKechnie, for breeding the Pheasant- tailed Cuckoo Dove Macropygia phasianella. * ❖ * Joseph Niemczak has been elected President of the Avicultural Society of America, in succession of Paul Schneider. The secretaryship remains in the very capable hands of Otis Wade, but there is a newly- appointed Treasurer — David King. * ❖ * C. Fechner, for many years Treasurer, Avicultural Society of South Australia, reports : “I had quite a successful year and bred quite a few species. I was lucky enough to get the Black-capped Waxbills to breed. This is the first time in this State, and I think would probably be the first in Australia.” * * * The highlight of the last breeding season with Newton Steel was the rearing of a young Leadbeater’s Cockatoo. Other rearings included three Redrumps, four Cockatiels, three Chinese Painted Quail, two Golden-breasted Waxbills, two Diamond Doves ; thirteen Reeves’s, fifteen Lady Amherst’s, one Silver, one Elliot’s, and five Golden Pheasants. * * * Elsewhere in this number of the Magazine there is a breeding account by F. E. B. Johnson of Hume’s Bar- tailed Pheasant. It is interesting to note that the Berlin Zoo (West) has recently received two pairs of this rare pheasant — the first to be imported into Germany. Unfortunately one of the hens had a severe compound fracture of the leg, as a result of which she died a few days later. The remaining three birds have settled down very well. * * * Dr. Norman P. Sholar, Mooresville, North Carolina, reports : “ This year we reared twelve Port Lincolns from two pairs and thirteen Pennants from two pairs. Twenty-five eggs hatched and twenty-four young were reared to leave the nest. We had three losses — two due to accidents and one from illness. All of our broad¬ tails relish mealworms, especially during breeding time. The young birds also take to eating them after they are free of the nest.” 40 NEWS AND VIEWS Dr. Karl Plath writes : “ Since my retirement as Curator of Birds, Chicago Zoological Park, in July, i960, I have had more time to spend on my former avocation, painting birds. I have recently had the honour of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (London). When I first joined the Avicultural Society in 1924 I lived in a part of Chicago where one could have a fairly large garden, and it was there that I had in all about 400 species of birds. Later, after becoming Curator of Birds at Brookfield, we moved to Oak Park (adjoining Chicago) and had even more ground ; but the keeping of any livestock in Oak Park is unlawful and so I had to give up my prized collection. Most of it, however, went to Brookfield. Now we only have ‘ Toto ’, a Grey Parrot, which we had hand-reared. My successor is Ronald Blakely, who is doing very well.” * * * Derek Goodwin was surprised that anyone should have thought that his success in breeding the Blue-headed Waxbill was a “ first ”. I was surprised that this should not prove to be the case. This waxbill was apparently first imported by G. B. Chapman in May, 1927. It was first bred by A. Decoux in France, in 1930 (see Avicult. Mag., 1 93 1 , 37)* A. R. Hynd reports that the late John Cranna was successful in Scotland in 1933. In view of the fact that Cecil Webb brought a number in 1 934 it is possible that Cranna’s success was really a year or so later than that reported. Derek Goodwin has bred others since, and writes : “ They certainly are not difficult to breed given a bit of care. I would have bred more but for having to have all my birds flying together in one small room. This, of course, results in a certain amount of nest-destruction and so on. And one brood of four fine young Blue-heads, about ten days old, were poisoned by wild mealworms which I foolishly gave the parents. All the waxbills that ate them were ill (those that didn’t were not) and these four young died.” * * * E. H. Hawke, Lourenco Marques, writes : “In May of this year, Mr. Jack Scheepers, the well-known trapper and exporter of birds, caught in the Maputa area of this territory a pair of Melbas, the cock of which is coloured so unusually that one can be excused wondering whether something new has been discovered in our bird life. The hen seems identical with the hen of Pytilia melha but the facial mask of the new bird is a very definite orange as opposed to the scarlet of the male. No other difference, even of size, can be noted except that the birds do not seem to display the same pugnacity one usually expects from Melbas. The pair were entrusted to my care and, very naturally, they were caged separately in the hope that if they bred, the male issue would provide some clue as to whether father was just a freak or not. In REVIEWS 41 July the birds went to nest and early in September four very fine youngsters were perched. These are now quite independent and as the parents are displaying a readiness to repeat their effort, I have removed the young birds to another aviary where they remain uncontaminated by any other members of the Melba family. I am now anxiously awaiting the first moult to see how the young males colour out and for the benefit of those of your readers who may be interested in this unusual experience, I will report again later.” A. A. P. * * * REVIEWS THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. By Jean Dorst. Translated by Constance D. Sherman. Heinemann, London, 1962. Price 50s. net. The periodical disappearance and return of birds has interested man since the dawn of history and many legends and theories have been invented in explanation. It is only comparatively recently, however, that the fundamental causes of migration and some of the methods of orientation have been discovered. The author, for many years curator of birds and mammals at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, has attempted to collect the available information on the subject from earliest times down to the results of present-day research. The study of migrations has been greatly helped in recent times by the development of bird stations in various parts of the world and also by the use of new and scientific methods, such as bird ringing and radar, which are providing much more accurate information than was possible by simple observation. The book is divided into thirteen chapters, the first dealing with old explanations of bird migration, followed by methods of studying migrations. The migrations in Europe and North Asia ; in North America, in the southern hemisphere, in intertropical regions, and in sea-birds, respectively, are considered in separate chapters, followed by Modes of Migration. Bird Invasions, Hibernation, Physiological Stimuli and Orientation, and the Origin and Evolution of Migration. Some idea of the literature on the subject may be gathered from the bibliography which comprises fifty-two pages and contains only a fraction of the articles and reports devoted to the subject. This is the most comprehensive study of bird migration ever published and is likely to appeal to both amateur ornithologists and experts in the subject. It can be thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in this fascinating problem and is likely to long remain a standard work on the subject. E. H. 42 NOTES BIRDS OF THE WORLD. By Oliver L. Austin, Jr. Illustrations by Arthur Singer. Paul Hamlyn, London, 1962. Price 84J. net. The statement on the jacket of this book that it is a spectacular presentation of all the bird families of the world is by no means an overstatement, for it is certainly most striking and attractive, the placing of the illustrations within the letterpress being particularly pleasing. The artist, Arthur Singer, has produced no less than 300 paintings in colour of a very high standard, both from the point of view of accuracy and artistic value, and they are excellently repro¬ duced. In his preface the author states : “ The following pages present a comprehensive survey of the world’s birds to show them as they are — a natural living entity. I have tried to explain something of their origin and evolution, their distributions, life histories, behaviour, and their relationships to one another and to their environments.” Dr. Austin has succeeded admirably in this task and deals with twenty-seven Orders and 155 Families of birds. Much of the information contained in the book is obtained from the writings of other ornithologists and there is a partial bibliography of the more important of the many works consulted in compiling this work. This is a book which will not only be of continual help and use but a constant source of pleasure. P. B.-S. * * * NOTES The Breeding of a Crake The photograph accompanying Mr. Everitt’s account of the breeding of the “ Red-legged Water-Rail ” and his description of the parents make it evident that this is not Ortygops notata , as stated, but Laterallus leucopyrrhus, the Red and White Crake or Southern White-breasted Crake. Ortygops (now Coturnicops ) notata is much smaller, with the feathers of the back and wings brown with blackish centres and spotted with white. The breast and abdomen are whitish, the feathers being tipped with black. The legs are olive-green. J. J. Yealland. Jameson’s Firefinch and the Dark Firefinch In 1957 I wrote an article in the Avicultural Magazine about the behaviour of the Dark Firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata. Recent studies by C. M. N. White and H. E. Wolters have shown that Jameson’s Firefinch, L. jamesoni, is more widely distributed than was thought, and that a West African race, virata, belongs to the latter, and not the former species. It was also found that the name rhodopareia should be used for Jameson’s Firefinch and not for a race of the Dark Firefinch. I had kept a skin of one of my birds, and I now find that most, if not all of my notes refer to a dark race of L. rhodopareia (= L. jamesoni) and not to L. rubricata. The colours of the races of both species vary in the same way in similar areas, and the only sure guide appears to be the shape of the tip of the outermost large primary, which is emarginated in the Dark Firefinch and entire in Jameson’s Firefinch. C. J. O. Harrison. CORRESPONDENCE 43 Notes on a Parrot Collection in Calcutta Since I last wrote to you in 1957 about my Golden-headed Conures having bred, three in November, 1956, and three in February, 1957, that is when they left their nest, three more left their nest in October, 1957. In January, 1958, three more with another three in May, 1958, and one in March, 1961. In August, 1961, I had two young from Pale-headed Rosella X Red-rumped Parrakeets. The young are more like the Rosella. Although I have bred Cockatiels many years ago I kept no record. In July, i960, two young left their nest with two more in October, 1 960, and one in August, 1961. I have a Peach-faced Lovebird which is completely red, but with the rump blue. I seem to think that with age some of these Lovebirds become partly or entirely red and doubt whether they will breed. I also have a pair of completely white (not albino) Red-vented Black Bulbuls. They are lovely birds, white with red vents. About a couple of months ago I was offered a very young, not fully feathered, blue Alexandrine but the bird died before it could be delivered to me. I have a number of very pretty Red Avadavats in the following colours, black, (some do get black with age), pied, white-headed, white-cheeked, and the prettiest of them all, light fawn birds with red breasts. Due to unsettled conditions I was unable to build the aviaries I had planned for my Cockatoos of which I have a number of species and which are at present in cages 3 X 2^ X 2 feet. A White-crested Cockatoo was continually laying since 1955 and I decided that something must be done for this pair. I built an aviary and released the birds end of May, 1961. On 1 1 th October, 1961, the hen laid an egg in a large wooden barrel and another four days later. By about 20th October, 1961, the barrel was pulled to pieces and the eggs broken. I then put in a small water-boiler which they inspected and tested, but there was no question of breaking up this nest. On 1 2th December, 1961, the hen laid an egg and another a couple of days later. Because of the cold spell I knew the eggs would not hatch as it was the same with all my other birds. However, on 5th and 7th February, 1962, two more eggs were laid. On 9th March, one of my workers told me he had a dream that one of the eggs had hatched. Of course I promptly told him that he was a silly ass and should have dreamt that both the eggs had hatched ! Sure enough, his dream came true as next morning, 10th March, 1962, we saw the young one. This event according to my men was a “ Burra Deen ”, big day, and there was no way out of it but for them to celebrate at my expense ! The water-boiler, with the lid off for the entrance, was laid on its side and slightly raised in front. It was filled some four or five inches with coarse sawdust and wood chips but most of this was thrown out and part pushed towards the entrance. The young one is never left alone and every time either of the parents leaves the boiler to feed, it is most amusing to see them peep through a hole at the bottom end where the tap used to be before entering. The youngster is now a few days over a month old and has a number of tiny feathers growing. Leo A. Ara. * * * CORRESPONDENCE WHITE EYES AS “ HOMING ” BIRDS My recent articles about White Eyes breeding at liberty in Norfolk have prompted a number of inquiries into the suitability of this species for homing experiments. In my experience White Eyes are intelligent, adaptable, and self-composed little birds, inexpensive to buy and maintain and inseparably attached to each other. Their small size, quick movements, inconspicuous plumage and arboreal habits protect them from the vandal’s air-gun and minimize the risk of predation by cats and other ground vermin. Provided there are trees nearby and one has a well-established true pair in breeding condition, familiar with the view from the aviary and addicted to a certain food (in this case nectar) there is no reason why anyone should not experience the sheer delight in having White Eyes flying free during the summer months. 44 CORRESPONDENCE It is undoubtedly an advantage to keep at least one other specimen in captivity to act as a call-bird during the initial stages of their freedom and advisable to release one bird of the pair some days before the other to explore the neighbourhood before returning to its mate and the feeder. As White Eyes are great bathers the provision of a shallow dish of water will offset any temptation to bathe in water-butts or other dangerous places. On no account should they be caught-up or handled. As the nests are attached to leaf-stems it is best to wait till late May or June when the foliage is well-developed and it is certainly imperative to re-admit them to the aviary before the gales and frosts of autumn, or any possible post-breeding wanderlust makes itself felt. R. A. Richardson. Cley, Norfolk. MUTUAL PREENING BEHAVIOUR I thought it may be of interest to mention the mutual preening and behaviour of two birds in my possession, a cock Chinese Painted Quail ( Excalfactoria chinensis) and a cock Firefinch (L. senegala). The Firefinch initiates these preening periods, preening the Quail mostly on the head, for up to three minutes, sometimes perching on the Quail’s back. The Quail’s preening of the Firefinch, however, is of briefer duration and not always reciprocal. Some time ago I had a Java Sparrow ( Paddy oryzivora), which frequently perched on the back of a Necklaced Dove ( Streptopelia chinensis ), although no preening took place, but I have been told that Java Sparrows are noted for this habit when kept with Doves. 37 Station Road, Hounslow, Middlesex. Jeffrey Trollope. * * * The Editor does not accept responsibility for opinions expressed in articles, notes , or correspondence. THE AVICULTURAL : SOCIETY : FOR THE STUDY OF BRITISH & FOREIGN BIRDS IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY Officers for the Year 1963 President D. SETH-SMITH Vice-Presidents J. Sped an Lewis, J. Delacour, Miss E. Maud Knobel, Allen Silver, G. S. Mottershead Council Miss P. Barglay-Smith Miss K. Bonner W. D. Cummings J. O. D’eath F. E. B. Johnson F. T. Jones A. Lamb Sir Crawford MgCullagh, Bt. F. Mosford W. R. Partridge C. M. Payne A. A. Prestwich D. H. S. Risdon T. Spence E. O. Squire N. R. Steel P. L. Wayre J. J. Yealland Executive Committee Miss P. Barglay-Smith Miss K. Bonner Miss E. M. Knobel G. S. Mottershead A. A. Prestwich D. Seth-Smith Hon. Secretary-Treasurer A. A. Prestwich Galley’s Wood, Nr. Edenbridge, Kent Assistant Secretary Miss Kay Bonner Editor Miss Phyllis Barglay-Smith, M.B.E. 51 Warwick Avenue, London, W. 9 Auditor J. Watkin Richards, Certified Accountant OFFICERS OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY PAST AND PRESENT PRESIDENTS 1894-1895 1896-1920 1921-1925 1926-1955 1956- The Countess of Bective The Rev. Canon and Hon. F. G. Dutton (later Lord Sherborne) The Rev. H. D. Astley A. Ezra, O.B.E. D. Seth-Smith SECRETARIES 1894-1896 Dr. C. S. Simpson 1896-1899 H. R. Fillmer 1899-1901 J. Lewis Bonhote 1 90 1 -1 903 R. Phillipps T™, JR- Phillipps 1903- 1904 |Dr a q Butler /T. H. Newman 1904- 1909 |Dr a g Butler t f R. I. Pocock I9°^ 4 ^j)R A. q Butler 1914-1916 { 1916-1919 | 1920 1921-1922 1923-1948 1949- T. H. Newman Dr. A. G. Butler Miss R. Alderson Dr. A. G. Butler Dr. L. Lovell-Keays Dr. A. G. Butler J. Lewis Bonhote Miss E. Maud Knobel A. A. Prestwich ASSISTANT SECRETARY 1950- Miss Kay Bonner. TREASURERS 1894-1897 1897-1899 1899-1901 1901-1906 1906-1913 1913-1917 H. R. Fillmer O. E. Cresswell J. Lewis Bonhote W. H. St. Quintin J. Lewis Bonhote B. C. Thomasett 19U-1919 1920 1921-1922 1 923— 1 948 1949- EDITORS o o a /Dr. C. S. Simpson 1894-1896 jH_ R Fillmee 1896-1899 H. R. Fillmer 1899-1901 O. E. Cresswell 1901-1907 D. Seth-Smith o (D. Seth-Smith a. G. Butler „ I'D. Seth-Smith 1 908- 1 9°9 p rank F inn 1909- 19:0 /Frank Finn IJ. Lewis Bonhote 1910- 1912 J. Lewis Bonhote 1 91 2-1 91 7 The Rev. H. D. Astley I9I7_I9I9 Dr. Graham Renshaw 1920 Dr. Graham Renshaw 1921-1923 1924 1925 1926-1934 1935 1 936- 1 938 1939- A. Ezra Dr. L. Lovell-Keays J. Lewis Bonhote Miss E. Maud Knobel A. A. Prestwich /R. I. Pocock \D. Seth-Smith /R. I. Pocock \D. Seth-Smith The Marquess of Tavistock The Marquess of Tavistock D. Seth-Smith D. Seth-Smith The Hon. Anthony Chaplin Miss E. F. Chawner Miss E. F. Chawner Miss Phyllis Barclay- Smith, M.B.E. MEDALLISTS OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY THE PRESIDENT’S MEDAL Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith, M.B.E. , 14th March, i960. Arthur Alfred Prestwich, 14th March, i960. THE KNOBEL AWARD Sten Bergman, D.Sc., 14th March, i960. Curt af Enehjelm, 14th March, i960. SPECIAL BIRD FOODS FAMOUS SINCE 1823 Universal Fortifier Perfort Insectivorous Fort-Egg and ictorial Packet) 3 oz. I0£d. 3 oz. I0£d. (Red Packet) Colorfort £ lb. I/I0£ £ lb. 2/- £ lb. 2/- £ lb. 3/- £ lb. 2/3 i lb. 3/6 1 lb. 4/- 1 lb. 4/- 1 lb. 6/- 1 lb. 4/6 3£ lb. 11/9 3£ lb. 13/6 3£ lb. 13/6 3£ lb. 21/- 3£ lb. 15/- 7 lb. 22/9 7 lb. 26/6 7 lb. 26/6 7 lb. 38/8 7 Jb. 29/9 28 lb. 85/- 28 lb. 98/- 28 lb. 98/- 28 lb. 154/- 28 lb. 112/- HEALTH C.L.O. GRAINS “GREENSTUFF” Rearing and Condition Food (Condition Seed) £ lb. 1/- 14 lb. 20/ 3 oz. 1/- A dehydrated form of green 1 lb. V- 28 lb. 38/6 1 lb. 4/6 food consisting of lettuce, 3£ lb. 5/6 56 lb. 75/- 3£ lb. 15/6 spinach, carrot, etc., readily taken by all birds. Packets 1/- & 3/6, also sold in bulk. 7 lb. 10/6 1 cwt. 140/- 7 lb. 30/- When sending for above Birdfoods please add for part cost of postage : £ lb. pkts. 6d. I lb. pkts. I/-. 3£ lb. and 7 lb. 2/-. 28 lb. and over Carriage Paid. MEALWORMS “ MARBA ” DUTCH BRED “ SANTA GERMAN BRED” (small type) (large type) Whether you prefer the small Dutch mealworm or the larger German type, we can give you the finest service obtainable, with shipments arriving twice weekly. Dispatch guaranteed same day as orders received. 1 oz. 3/- 2 oz. 4/9 4 oz. 8/- 8 oz. 14/- I lb. 23/6 Also in original Boxes as imported Nett weight guaranteed 2 lb. 45/- 3i lb. 62/6 6£ lb. £6 Os. Od. All Carriage Paid. MAGGOTS We sell only the best liver-fed maggots, specially recleaned and ready for immediate use for bird feeding. Packed in bran. No mess or smell. 2 oz. 4 oz. 8 oz. I lb. 3/4 4/6 7/- 10/6 FEEDING SUNDRIES £ lb. 1 lb. Dried Flies (Chinese) 5/- 9/6 Silkworm pupae (Whole) 3/9 6/6 „ „ (Ground) 4/- 6/9 Dried Dragonfly larvae . 6/6 12/6 Dried Shrimp (Fine, Medium, or Coarse) 2/3 3/6 Ant Eggs ..... 13/6 25/- Pure Dried Egg .... 6/6 12/6 Dried Rowan Berries (Whole) 2/9 4/6 „ „ „ (Crushed) 3/- 4/9 Pure Breadcrumbs (Fine, Medium, or Coarse), far superior to biscuit meal . . . . 2 lb. 3/- ; 4 lb. 5/6 ; 14 lb. 17/6 ; 28 lb. 28/- “ Egg-crumbs,” guaranteed to consist of 90 per cent breadcrumbs and 10 per cent pure egg . . .2 lb. 5/6 ; 4 lb. 10/6 ; 7 lb. 17/6 ALL ABOVE PRICES ARE POST PAID E. W. COOMBS, LTD. 255 Walderslade Road, Chatham, Kent Phone : Chatham 61068 Grams : Avicult, Chatham, Kent ■>4n absolute international novelty For simple respiratory acariasis and that that is associated to the most common complications. “CANDIO ACAR„ has been tested, approved and been adopted by the RESEARCH CENTER FOR BIRD’S DESEASES (C.R. M. U.) of the University of Par Prof. ITALO VACCARI. ISTITUTO CANDIOLI s p a. Veterinary Section - Turin, Italy - Founded in 1882. SOLE AGENTS are needed for our free zones « When Visiting the COTSWOLDS AV1CULTURISTS ARE WELCOME TO •) Set in the charm oj an old English Garden at the lovely Village of BOURTON-ON- THE- WATER ■ STUDIES ON GREAT CRESTED GREBES By K. E. L. SIMMONS Price 5/6 post free PUBLISHED BY THE AVIGULTURAL SOCIETY galley’s wood EDENBRIDGE, KENT DR. P. M. DRIVER B.Sc., Ph.D., M.I.Biol. is proposing to hold WEEKEND AVICULTURAL COURSES at “ BIRDLAND ” Accommodation will be provided and anyone interested should write for further details to The Secretary, Dr. P. M. Driver, “ Birdland,” Bourton-on-the-Water. ■visitin' LONDON HOTEL Kingsley- Windsor GROUP OF HOTELS LONDON AND EASTBOURNE Details of the Group’s facilities from : WINDSOR HOTEL, LANCASTER GATE, LONDON, W.2. Tel : AMBassador 4501 Telegrams : Epicure London W.2. Personal service awaits you at the Windsor Hotel *150 rooms, all with radio and telephone, many with private bath *Fresh produce from our own farm Conference and banqueting rooms television room *Ideally situated close to the West End *Easy access to Olympia, Earl’s Court and Main Line Stations *Ample parking facilities P.H. HASTINGS LTD supplied SUPREME CHAMPION BEST LARGE FOREIGN BEST SMALL TANAGER 1st COCK-OF-THE-ROCK and numerous other Awards at this Year’s National For the Cream in Foreign Birds write for Price List to: 182 SULTAN ROAD, PORTSMOUTH Credit Facilities available Phone 2 1 582 CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION Clifford Addison, 15 Lune Drive, Clayton-le-Woods, Leyland, Lancs. Proposed by F. Mosford. M. K. Boorer, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 1. Proposed by J. J. Yealland. C. Chow, 601 Pedder Building, Hong Kong. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. J. W. Ford, The Croft, Kirk Deighton, Wetherby, Yorks. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. Joseph Kuttner, 35 Broadwalk, South Woodford, London, E. 18. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. J. Murray, 6 Oakfield Avenue, Upton-by-Chester. Proposed by A. W. E. Fletcher. John Nichol, 35b Queen’s Avenue, Muswell Hill, London, N. 10. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. Mrs. P. R. Roberts, 37 Fraser Street, Tauranga, New Zealand. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. Christopher J. Varley, 3 Granvill Grove, Greek Street, Kingston upon Hull. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. Dr. John G. Whitcomb, 4800 Gibson Blvd. S.E., Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. NEW MEMBERS The seven Candidates for Election in the November-December, 1962, number of the Avicultural Magazine were duly elected members of the Society. READMITTED T. W. Bolton, Bungalow Hill Farm, Bishop’s Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. CHANGES OF ADDRESS H. Bancroft, to ia Commercial Street, Blackpool S.S., Lancs. W. H. Davey-Richards, to 106 Aller Park Road, Newton Abbot, Devon. F. Davies, to Sunhey, 10 Fieldhey Lane, Willaston, Wirral, Cheshire. A. R. Hynd, to c/o Greig, 26 Rattray Street, Monifieth, Angus, Scotland. R. G. Kirkham, to New Park Lodge, Foxrock, Co. Dublin, Eire. F. Y. Larkin, to 140 Parsonage Road, Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.A, M. A. Machris, to 1 1681 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles 49, California, U.S.A. K. J. Smith, to Exmouth Zoo, Exmouth, Devon. Colonel K. Somers, to 2115 Salisbury Road, Silver Spring, Mi. U.S.A. Maximilian G. Stern, to 1 Shawfields, Cranley Road, Guildford, Surrey. 27914 Staff Sgt. M. Thomas, to 74 Lennox Street, Richmond I.W., New South Wales, Australia. Mrs. M. Williams, to Wild Acres, Stour Provost, Nr. Gillingham, Dorset. DONATIONS (Coloured Plate Fund) A. G. Banks £ s. 10 d. 0 Lieut. -Col. H. W. Clayden 10 0 H. Cowley . . 2 10 0 W. A. Crockford . 10 0 J. Gandy 10 0 D. Goodwin 1 0 0 J. Z. Howell 15 0 G. T. Irving 1 0 P. A. Lindsay 1 0 0 Dr. N. P. Sholar . 1 10 0 S. Slack 5 0 MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS The charge for Members' advertisements is threepence per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 15th of the month to A. A. Prestwick, Galley’s Wood, Nr. Edenbridge, Kent. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column , but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisements they consider unsuitable. For Indian Birds buy direct from Baidyanath Acooli, 875a Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta 2, India. Wanted. Cock Rameron, Crested Bronze-winged, and Triangular-spotted Pigeons. — Denby Collins, The Old Vicarage, Wharram, Malton, Yorks. Wanted. Pair Blue-bonnet and pair Elegant ; male King ; female Many-coloured. Also Avicultural Magazine, 1927, 1949, and 1950.— Aage Madsen, Skovbo, Viborg, Denmark. NOTICE 1 Council has decided that, with a view to economy, no List of Members will be published this year. ARTHUR A. PRESTWICH, Honorary Secretary. • 4 STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, HERTFORD. mi 02 ^ AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE VOL. 69 No. 2 PRICE 7/6 MARCH-APRIL 1963 (with CONTENTS Rearing Great Indian Bustards ( Choriotis nigriceps) ( with plate), by K. S Dharmakumarsinhji ........ Notes on Black-necked Swans (Cygrns melanocoryphus ) , by R. A. Copley Notes on Austral and Southern Pacific Birds, by J. Delacour Observations on Java Sparrows, by Derek Goodwin . Breeding the Rock Parrakeet (Neophema petrophila ), by Hartley King The Parrots of Australia : 4. The Blue-bonnet ( Psephotus haematogaster ) plate), by Joseph M. Forshaw .... Breeding the Kurrichane Thrush, by Charles Everitt The National Exhibition of Gage-Birds, 1962 Birds in the Jersey Zoological Park, by Kenneth Smith News from Chester Zoo, by A. W. E. Fletcher . London Zoo Notes, by J. J. Yealland Council Meeting . British Aviculturists* Club News and Views Reviews Correspondence Statement of Accounts page 45 48 50 54 70 71 80 82 86 88 88 90 90 91 93 94 96 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Founded 1894 President : D. Seth-Smith, Esq. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer s A. A. Prestwich, Galley’s Nr. Edenbridge, Kent. Assistant Secretary : Miss Kay Bonner. Membership Subscription is £ 2 per annum, due on 1st January each year, and payable in advance. Life Membership £25. Subscriptions, Change of Address, Names of Candidates for Membership, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Hon. President : Mr. Jean Delacour. President : Mr. Joseph Niemczak. Secretary : Mr. Otis Wade, 1806 Redesdale Avenue, Los Angeles 26, Calif. U.S.A. The annual dues of the Society are $4.00 per year, payable in advance. The Society year begins 1st January, but new members may be admitted at any time. Members receive a monthly bulletin. Correspondence regarding membership, etc., should be directed to the Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE The Magazine is published bi-monthly, and sent free to all members of the Avicultural Society. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year on the payment of subscription. All matter for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to : — The Editor s Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith, 51 Warwick Avenue, London, W. 9. Telephone : Cunningham 3006. The price of the Magazine to non-members is 7 s. 6d., post free, per copy, or £ 2 5 s. for the year. Orders for the Magazine, extra copies and back numbers (from 1917) should be sent to the publishers, Stephen Austin & Sons, Ltd., Caxton Hill, Ware Road, Hertford, England. Telephone : Hertford 2352/3/4. Wood, Avicult. Mag, Copyright ] [/U S. Dhannakumarsinhji Young Great Indian Bustards (4J-5J months old) Avicultural Magazine THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY - . . ■ . . . ■ ■ Vol. 69. — No. 2. — All rights reserved. MARCH-APRIL, 1963 REARING GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDS ( Choriotis nigriceps) By K. S. Dharmakumarsinhji, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (Dilbahar, Bhavnagar, India.) Many years ago at home one of our Falconer-cum-Dog boys was given a two- week old Great Indian Bustard chick to rear. This he successfully did, but no notes of the upbringing were made. The chick seemed to have flourished on all kinds of foods the boy ate himself. Last August, I was given a Bustard fledgling which I presumed was about a month old. A brief description of it, is of interest. Crown, black with fawn coronal streak ; supercilium, pale buff ; upper-parts, brown with black and buff spots ; neck, fawn, finely vermiculated or barred with dull black ; throat, buff. Lower-parts, buffy with ochre undertail-coverts ; tail, pale greenish-grey ; primaries, slate ; secondaries, grey, flecked with white and buff ; wing-coverts, spotted with buff and tan. Eyes, iris pale yellow ; bill, horny and ivory-white with egg- tooth whitish. Weight, lb. The chick became hungry after two hours of capture and was force-fed on grubs and earthworms. Subsequently, it was fed on raw minced meat three times a day. On the third day it took food on its own but was still force-fed for four more days. The chick emitted a short shrill “ kaon ” and when alone twittered repeatedly. When disturbed it sounded a throaty “ gha ”. For over a month it was fed on minced meat, green leaf which it picked up, locusts, grasshoppers, other insects, and prawns, all of which was given to it by hand. It sometimes took rice and green peas. From the early stage it swallowed grit. I kept a keeper to look after it, whom it recognized and followed. A constant twittering whistle when left alone appeared characteristic. When hungry it came to the keeper’s feet ; it was then fed by hand, after which it sat on its tarsi or walked searchingly. Attempts at feeding on its own were made, and it was seen to catch minute insects, caterpillars, earwigs, centipedes, and small butterflies. In a month’s time its weight had reached 2| lb. The wings were clipped as it could fly. The colour of the legs was fleshy-white and the soft neck feathers commenced dropping. 4 46 K. S. DHARMAKUMARSINHJI - REARING GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDS The chick’s habit was to take frequent dust-baths ; rubbing its neck sideways and puffing out the neck and crown feathers ; then it would suddenly spring to its feet to stand erect motionless for a second or two. At times the wings were ruffled to take in dust. During the process of rubbing its neck in the dust, the body angle was slightly tilted and the chick gave an impression of being in pain as it squirmed in the dust. Later when it suddenly jumped up and stood, it often gave itself a good shaking, raising the mantle and scapulars, a common habit often seen in adult Bustards. The stretching of one wing and leg was also observed. When a goat or large bird passed by, the chick raised its tail and spread out its wings in a threatening manner. This threat-posture was sometimes accompanied by a hiss or “ gha ” with the crown and neck feathers puffed. This display was seen in play also. The peculiar thing about it was that the bird’s display was so sudden and ceased as suddenly as it had commenced. This threat-display which appeared like a dance when the bird turned round, was seen more frequently at a later stage. When seated, the chick kept one leg slightly in front of the other and it often moved forward or turned while still resting on its tarsi. When preening, the chick invariably closed its eyelids. In the second month, a new coat of smoky-grey feathers appeared on the neck, and blackish feathers were seen at the sides of the breast. Blackish-brown feathers grew on the wing-coverts, forming a chequered pattern of black and tan on them. A white spot above the wing-shoulder also showed itself clearly. The lower-parts became buffy- white. Another Bustard chick was obtained in September and this fledgling was presumed to be about three to four weeks younger than the first. It weighed 2i lb. Although much the same colour and pattern as the first, it had a shorter and thicker neck ; paler and broader super- cilium ; the crown was black tipped with buff edges to feathers ; bill, bluish-grey with egg- tooth whitish. Eyes, iris, earthy-brown ; legs, greyish or plumbeous. The chick was placed on same diet. It was shyer and made frequent efforts to escape. It made less sound though making the characteristic twittering and was less demonstrative. Both young drank water profusely from a cup. The manner was to sit on the tarsi and sip, sucking water like in the Columbidae. Basking was done by sitting or lying flat with one or both wings spread out. In the sun the gular movement was often noticed. In November, Chick 2 grew rapidly reaching same size as No. 1. By December, it had exceeded No. 1. This was rather extraordinary considering it was only three-quarters the size of No. 1 soon after it had arrived. All in all, a sexual difference was suspected. The neck assumed lighter greyish-white, with very faint barring while the breast showed a blacker and broader band ; flanks were also whiter than No. 1 which had a pale bufhsh tinge. Tarsus and toes were larger. Both K. S. DHARMAKUMARSINHJI - REARING GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDS 47 young now had full black crowns with a greyish hue and a short crest. On the upper-parts, the buff spots almost disappeared and a more uniform sandy-brown colour was seen, the black markings scanty only on No. i Irides became paler. The remiges are a bluish-grey flecked with white and a conspicuous patch of white on the centre feathers. Both young fly easily and enter into mutual play. Owing to lack of natural food, I have put both birds on a pellet diet consisting of : Chopped meat, 90 per cent ; crushed gram flour, 5 per cent ; ground carrots, 2 per cent ; butter fat \ per cent ; boiled egg, 2 per cent ; vegetable leaf, \ per cent ; fortified with Vitamin A and D. In voice, No. 1 emits a peculiar short throaty “ wut-wut-wuturr 5 repeated quickly and which appears to denote affection ; it is reminiscent of the alarm note of Grus grus. The plaintive twittering is less conspicuous and seldom heard. Chick No. 2, more silent, sedate, and shyer, utters frequently a short whistle and a drawn-out whistle which is reminiscent of the courtship song of the Painted Snipe ( Rostratula benghalensis) . Both emit the “ gha 55 but No. 2 emits a sobbing “ W00-000-000 5 when handled. Both young have excellent eyesight, equalling the Goshawk and react to birds of prey flying at great height. They react to eagles by crouching or by threat display when an eagle flies low over them. Disregarding kites and now vultures, they show vent to eagles, buzzards, and hawks, and become alert at the sound of the alarm signals given by other birds. The threat posture is often triggered by a bird flying high over, or by a flying insect such as a dragon-fly, or by a bird alighting close by, or even just sometimes without any special cause. In taking flight, both birds take a step or two and while taking off the legs are drawn up and then stretched out behind. When alighting a short glide is seen. Flapping of wings is done as exercise, and the feet are often lifted from the ground when doing so. Both birds play with small objects, sticks, small stones, manipulating them with their bills, and keep themselves very clean. They had from the start, a liking for swallowing white shiny objects or pebbles which they pick up with much rapidity. Such pebbles and pieces of glass are expelled regularly in the faeces. Both birds eat about \ lb. of food daily. They are mostly hand-fed and are given daily morning and evening walks, after which they are penned in a small roofed enclosure with wire netting in front. No. 1 stands 28 inches and weighs 6J lb. and No. 2, 35 inches and weighs 8| lb. on 7th January, 1963. No. 1 has more distinct vermicula- tion on the upper-parts and neck than in No. 2, which has whiter breast and belly, thicker neck feathers, blacker breast-band, and rich brown, almost turning to rufescent, at the base of hind-neck. No. 1 has a tinge of fawn on lores, face, chin and throat with a duller supercilium. In the manner of taking food No. 1 has a soft mouth, tasting its food 48 R. A. COPLEY - NOTES ON BLACK-NECKED SWANS frequently, protruding its tongue, and gulping smoothly ; in contrast No. 2 has a hard mouth and swallows food jerkily like a duck. More observations are being made as the birds grow. The Great Indian Bustard is protected in India as it is becoming quite rare. The first Zoo in India to obtain an adult pair of this species is the Bikaner Zoo in Rajasthan. The pair is thriving well. * * * NOTES ON BLACK-NECKED SWANS (Cygnus melanocoryphus) By R. A. Copley (Hemingford Grey, Huntingdonshire, England) A pair of Black-necked swans were acquired in i960, and they were immediately introduced to an area of water of about ij acres and plenty of grass. The male started coming up for food almost at once, but the female seemed to be very unhappy and was all the time trying to get out. It paid no attention to the other swan or to any of the other birds on the water. Day after day it was seen on its own, sulking in a corner, and every endeavour was made to get it to eat or to take some interest in its surroundings. Soon it seemed to be very weak and almost unable to stand and when it was caught and put in a confined space it still refused to eat and would only drink a little water. The male would not take any notice of it at all. It appeared quite clear that the female was very unhappy and would die unless its circumstances were changed, so it was sent back to where it came from. Unfortunately it was not given a chance to rehabilitate itself and was promptly killed to see if it had any disease. The report was that it had no disease. Another female was obtained from the same source and this was put in a confined space separated from the male by a piece of wire netting. Very quickly he came up to take notice of the new bird and for several days they remained side by side with only the netting between them. Directly the wire netting was removed they both went into the lake and have been inseparable ever since. In 1961 the fence dividing the lake was opened and they had five acres of water and islands. In early 1962 it was seen that they were making a nest on one of the islands, so hay and straw were supplied. They then made a big nest and laid five eggs, three in due course hatched off, two being unfertile. The young ones were soon being carried on the backs of the male and female and it was thought that they would be safe on the R. A. COPLEY - NOTES ON BLACK-NECKED SWANS 49 island they had chosen ; but in a few days time it was noticed that only two cygnets remained and before anything could be done only one cygnet was left. The parents with their one cygnet were confined to a small area of water and a clear piece of sandy land. The two cygnets on the island were found mutilated and eaten by some predator. The parents took great care of the cygnet and it always rested on the back of one of them underneath the fold in the wing even when it was grown to half size. Shortly after this another egg was found on a few scraps and sticks that had been collected ; so immediately hay, straw, and grass were provided and another large nest was made in the restrictive area and five eggs in all were laid. The female started to sit and, in ignorance, the cygnet was allowed to stay with its parents and every evening it was seen sitting on the nest beside its mother and everything seemed to be satisfactory. Early one morning the cygnet was seen to be in great trouble some distance away from its parents. When caught it was found that its head was badly swollen and one eye was very damaged. To ascertain what had happened the cygnet was put near the nest with a piece of wire protecting it. The cause of the injury was soon discovered because the male tried many times to hit the cygnet with its wing and it appeared only too clearly that the instinct of the father to protect its offspring had been wiped out by its instinct to protect the female and the nest. When any nest making begins again, the cygnets will now be removed to safety. The cygnet was taken away and put with some bantams and other chicks for company but it seemed to have lost its balance. It fed and drank a little and its head appeared to improve but it seemed blind in one eye due to the injury. It gradually grew weaker until it died. In due course of time two cygnets were hatched off from the second sitting and these are doing well and their neck feathers are beginning to go black. It is noted that when the cygnets are growing to their full stature they are very unsteady on their legs and if they are frightened their legs give way and appear to lose all strength. It is understood that it is quite rare for Black-necked Swans to raise two broods in one year and it will be interesting to see what happens in 1963. The male bird appears to be rather antagonistic to any other white birds on the water, particularly a pair of Muscovies, but as these can fly no damage is likely. He sometimes objects to one of the Emperor Geese. One interesting trait is his wonderful eyesight. He often notices the writer looking at him through a window and sets up a cry immediately. 50 J. DELAGOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS He also loves to show off by skimming over the water at great speed and as he reaches the bank where you are standing, he dives, almost standing on his head. He never appears to get tired of showing off in this way. Generally it has been very interesting to study the love life of Black¬ necked Swans and this year it is hoped to get a cinefilm of the courtship. * * * NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS By J. Delacour (Cleres, France) Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, New Caledonia and the South Pacific Islands were the last part of the world I had never visited before. As years are passing fast, it was essential not to delay too long a trip to this fascinating area, so long isolated from the larger land masses that the flora and fauna possess a highly peculiar character. I therefore left Cleres early in September, 1962, and after a few days at Singapore, where I was the guest of the well known ornithologist and bird photographer Dato Loke Wan Tho, I arrived at Perth, Western Australia, on the 10th September. My excuse for writing the present notes for this magazine is that many Australian birds, in particular, are not only very different from those of the rest of the world, and extremely attractive ; but they also number among those which have long been the most popular with aviculturists. Cockatoos and Broadtail parrakeets, pigeons and doves, geese and ducks, as well as grassfinches, to name only the most familiar, have been early aviary favourites as they add to great beauty the advantage of being fairly hardy in Europe and in North America, where they breed relatively easily. I hope therefore that some recent observations concerning them will interest our readers. Australians and New Zealanders are enthusiastic and experienced aviculturists, and it was my privilege to visit some collections. I wish I had had time to see more of them, which I hope to do in the near future. I. — Western Australia Perth is a large and attractive city, and the Swan River estuary expands into salt-water lakes, along which runs, high on a hill, a vast park where the native vegetation has been well protected, to the advantage of numerous native birds. Small swampy lakes have very fortunately been preserved in the suburbs, so that one can see there, J. DELACOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS 5 1 close to houses, an excellent sample of West Australian water birds : two species of Cormorants, Coots, Porphyrios, Black Moorhens, Black Swans, Grey Ducks, Grey Teal, White-eyed and Blue-billed Ducks, and even the curious little Pink-eared Ducks. The only pigeons seen there are the introduced Senegal Palm Doves. The familiar Australian passerine birds are much in evidence in park and gardens and one Parrakeet, the Port Lincoln ( Barnardius z- zonarius) is very common. The population at Perth is somewhat intermediate between zonarius and the larger semitorquatus found farther south. I was met at Perth by Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Sheffler, my old friends from Los Angeles, who accompanied me throughout Australia. Dr. D. Serventy, the well-known Australian ornithologist, not only kindly showed us birds in and around Perth, but he also had arranged for a comprehensive 3,300 mile tour by car of the central and southern parts of the State. West Australia probably contains the most varied and showy wild flowers in the whole world, and September is the best month to see them in all their glory. The Australian flora is dominated by the Eucalyptus, which give the country a very special aspect ; growing to a very large size, they usually have a small and light canopy which provide little shade, so that there is a rich undergrowth ; there are hundreds of different species, but all of them, large or small, present these characteristics. It makes it easier to see birds. We went first north, through the light eucalyptus forest, then the savannah country, most of which has now been changed into wheat fields. Farther north-east, we found the “ mulga ”, an arid area more or less thickly covered with stunted acacias and other desert growth ; we went as far north as Kathleen Valley. Afterwards we drove south to Kalgoorlie and reached the southern coast at Esperance. On our way to Kathleen Valley, through Wubin and Mount Magnet, we saw in the wheat belt our first Roseate Cockatoos, the Galahs as they are locally called. Although very common in all the cultivated and open parts of Australia, they remain one of the most attractive birds one can watch. They are usually walking on the ground, feeding or on the wing, when they look at their best ; sometimes they perch on fences, wires or trees ; also one sees them coming in and out of hollow branches of eucalyptus. Australian Magpies, or Piping Crows and Butcherbirds are always numerous. European Goldfinches abound, more numerous and tamer in Australia than in their native countries. There are here and there brackish ponds, where Black Swans and Australian Shelducks live ; the latter had broods of young. Straw-necked Ibises are met in flocks ; these fine birds are never molested, as they destroy many harmful insects, and they are common all over Australia. As we went north-east, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and Corellas (Bare-eyed Cockatoos) became more numerous, usually 52 J. DELACOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS feeding in the fields. Port Lincoln Parrakeets were still numerous, but Rock Peplars appeared here and there, and in the dry country, we saw one Queen Alexandra’s and several Bourke’s Parrakeets. Emus and kangaroos (Red and Euro) began to show up here and there. But they have been, and still are, terribly persecuted and ruthlessly slaughtered by sheep farmers, as is the Wedge-tailed Eagle, which we never saw once in that part of Australia where it used to be very numerous. We spent two delightful days at Yackabundi, Kathleen Valley, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Adamson, who farm a very large sheep station, in this arid, semi-desert district. The big house is surrounded by a lush, irrigated garden. Birds recognize its tall trees and green shrubs as an oasis. Budgerigars come by the hundreds, Galahs swarm around the farmyard. Each morning, I could watch a hundred Crested Pigeons ( Ocyphaps lophotes) feeding with the poultry, Mud Larks (Magpie larks) abound as everywhere else in Australia, and there were many other birds around. Away in the desert we could find the Western Bowerbird and its bowers, and the curious Quail Thrush ; lovely Red-capped Robins nested in the garden trees. Port Lincoln Parrakeets also were there. The southern coast is picturesque and rocky, and the islands off-shore are the western home of the Cereopsis goose which never inhabits the mainland. The country is green and very cool at that season, and the wildlife quite remarkable. On the way west to Albany and beyond, there were pairs of Maned geese, Grey Ducks, Plovers, White-faced and White-necked Herons around pools ; Stanley Parrakeets were frequent, as also the large, crow-like, grey Currawongs ( Strepera versi¬ color) . The introduced Kookaburra was commoner over there than in its native east. We came across several flocks of White-tailed Black Cockatoos, high up in Eucalyptus forests ; we once counted 134 in a flock, including young birds still fed by their parents. Pelicans were frequently seen near the coast. The great interest of Albany, as far as birds are concerned, consists of the presence in its vicinity of the Noisy Scrub Bird ( Atrichornis clamosus) in the thick, short brush which covers the slopes of the hills along the ocean. Mr. H. O. Webster, its recent (1961) rediscoverer, took me through the scrubland to his small cabin near Two People Bay. Just outside, as we landed from the car, I heard a beautiful song, similar to that of the nightingale, but fuller, louder and more varied. A narrow path wound through this part of the brush, above which stand a few scattered trees. There is a worn run across the path, such as a rodent or a weasel would make ; but it actually is that of the Scrub Bird. This particular specimen, used to human observers and probably intrigued by them, starts singing and also moving about as soon as he hears anyone. It eventually crosses J. DELACOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS 53 the path along its run, and all one has to do to see it is to wait a few yards away. I saw it twice, a small, brown bird, with an erect head, thin neck, high held tail and short legs, running like a rat, deliberately and without fear. It general aspect, proportions and movements clearly indicate its peculiarity, which is proved by its special anatomical features. Prior to Mr. Webster’s observations it had not been seen since 1889 and was therefore considered extinct. It is probably still fairly numerous in the impenetrable scrub of the coast, which is now being proclaimed a sanctuary. Two other very rare birds were seen and heard in the area : the Black-throated Whip-bird ( Psophodes nigrogularis) and the Bristle Bird (. Dasyornis longirostris ) . The weather was bad during our visit — rain and a cold wind. Mr. Webster is an excellent photographer of birds’ nests, but he has not yet been able to find that of the Noisy Scrub Birds ; he has only seen the female on two occasions. But he will no doubt soon succeed. West of Albany, on the way to the western coast, we crossed the magnificent forest of giant Eucalyptus, Karris ( E . diversicolor ) and Yar- rahs (. E . marginata ), the former as large and tall as the great Sequoia Red Woods of the California coast. Stanley Parrakeets were numerous, but we only saw a few Pileated ( Porphyrocephalus spurius ) . Brush Bronze-wing Pigeons were not uncommon among the shrubs and trees along the coast. The best private collection of live birds which we saw near Perth was that of Mr. Theo Peters, who has a large, well planted aviary and several smaller ones. The most interesting birds were several species of the magnificent Blue Wrens of the west and the lovely Red-eared Firetails, a beautiful Waxbill-like Finch of the south-west, rare in captivity and very difficult to keep ; there were also Scarlet Chested Parrakeets, Plumed Doves and several other Finches and Softbills, all in excellent condition and perfectly kept. There are a number of smaller collections most of cockatoos and parrakeets. The Perth Zoo is not very large, but it is attractive and well kept, and it has very good collections of local birds and mammals. It must be remembered that importation into Australia of any foreign birds has been prohibited for years, so that zoos and aviculturists have to concentrate on the local avifauna, which, fortunately, is one of the best in the world. The cockatoos and parrakeets are particularly well represented at the Perth Zoo. They are well housed and cared for, and many breed each year. There are a few birds of prey in perfect condition, and interesting waterfowl, doves and passerine birds. [To he continued) 54 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS By Derek Goodwin (London, England) Introduction My Java Sparrow keeping has not, as will appear, been very extensive or successful. As, however, I have been unable to find any detailed notes on its behaviour in English books or j’ournals I feel j’ustified in offering my own scanty observations on this interesting, beautiful and cheap bird, together with references to some relevant observations that have appeared in German publications. The Java Sparrow (. Padda oryzivora) also known as Ricebird, Java Finch and, to the romantically-minded American aviculturist, as Java Temple Bird is endemic to Java and Bali. It occurs widely else¬ where in south-eastern Asia but in many places is suspected of having been introduced. It is one of the largest estrildines and (as most readers will know but I shall describe it for such as do not) extremely beautiful. About the size of a Goldfinch but very different in head and bill shape. General colour soft bluish-grey, mauve-pink belly, head black with white cheeks, rump and tail black and a very large bill which is pink to pinkish-red at the base and whitish-pink at the tip. There is also a domesticated variety which is white or pied in colour. The domestic form is said to be easy to breed but as its price never drops below £5 or £6 per pair (about six times as much as the far more beautiful wild form) it seems unlikely that it can be really prolific. The very scarcity of white Java Sparrows when compared to the numbers of the other two domesticated estrildines, the Zebra Finch and the Bengalese Finch, which are to be seen in every bird shop, shows as clearly as anything could that it cannot be so easy to breed as other domesticated species are. It would appear that, contrary to what is the case with Bengalese Finches and Canaries, it is impossible to produce wild-coloured domesticated Java Sparrows by pairing pied individuals together. At least I have never heard of it being done or seen domesticated greys offered for sale. History of Individuals Kept In my early ‘teens I bought a “ pair 55 of Java Sparrows, for the modest sum of 2s. 6d., and kept them in a large outdoor aviary with a small shelter attached, in company with Turtle Doves and various small passerines. These Java Sparrows never showed any signs of nesting and were probably of the same sex. It was not until the summer of 1961, that I again kept Java Sparrows. I had for some time been making intermittent observations on such specimens as I had seen in DEREK GOODWIN-— OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 55 zoos and bird-dealers’ establishments and, one day seeing two in a cage full of Budgerigars in a local pet shop, I bought them. They were placed in a cage about 3 by 3 by 4 feet high and once they had got used to their new home were allowed to fly free about the upper part of the house for at least two or three hours every other day. One soon revealed himself to be a male by his frequent song and display. The sex of his mate remained a mystery, however, as the second bird never showed any behaviour that could be interpreted as definitely either feminine or masculine. From the size of its bill it was most likely a male. Early in December I visited the “ Crystal Palace ” show. Looking round the dealers’ stands I saw at that of the Toddington Bird Farm a cage with about a dozen Java Sparrows. One (and only one) of these was an obvious hen, being very small and neat with (for a Java Sparrow) a very small, pale-coloured bill. Moreover she had about her something of that indefinable “ sweetness ” or “ placidity ” of expression that one sees on some female pigeons (of all species) and which always indicates that the bird showing it will be more easily tamed and less nervous and panicky than others of its species. This will sound nonsense to the non-aviculturist but anyone of experience in keeping pigeons and other birds will know what I mean. With some difficulty, but no objection, the proprietor managed to catch this individual for me from among the fluttering melee and also another bird which I thought might do as a mate for her. Since I was reluctant to part the original “ pair ” if it could be avoided. The original pair showed hostility to the newcomers though this decreased in intensity in a very short time. The two newcomers showed, to my surprise, not the slightest tendency to pair or even associate closely with each other. The old pair, including the male, were equally hostile to both. It became very evident that if I was to get any observations on the breeding behaviour of the J ava Sparrow the only course was to split the original pair and keep only the two birds known to be a male and female. Moral scruples against splitting the faithful old pair thus came into conflict with scientific interests. I fear I need hardly tell my readers that, as is usual in such cases, moral scruples soon went by the board. I gave away the new (presumed) male and the bird of unknown sex and kept the female and the undoubted male of the original pair. Left with only the hen for company the male did not immediately succumb to her charms. He called loudly and frequently for his former enigmatic mate, sang at very frequent intervals and although he did not actually persecute the female he repulsed her in no uncertain manner whenever she tried to approach him closely. At night they slept in different nest-baskets on opposite sides of the cage. This state of affairs continued for about ten days. Then, on the morning of 56 DEREK GOODWIN — OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 24th December, I saw the female hop along the perch towards the male. As she drew near him she greeted him humbly, lowering her head right to her feet. He, although not responding courteously to the greeting, did not repulse her, she cautiously drew close against , him and they sat side by side for (so far as I had seen) the first time. That night was certainly the first time they roosted together, the female having probably taken the initiative over this also, as they roosted in the male’s basket, not hers. Within a few days they were firmly paired, constantly greeting one another with the tail twist and head bow and the male frequently giving his courtship display and song. On 15th January I noticed that a piece of string had been carried into the cage by the birds, who had been free of the house on the previous day. I put some lengths of string and some long dried grass on the floor and the cock soon carried some into the nest-basket that they did not use for roosting. For the next few weeks the birds spent much time building and copulated frequently, but by the time the first egg was laid on nth February, only the barest ! apology for a nest was inside the basket. The pair began to sit or at any rate to take turns inside the basket, but it was obviously a very unsatisfactory nest and they soon began to lose interest. By the 16th they had clearly deserted and when I emptied out the basket I found two eggs, together with only a few odd whisps of grass and a feather or two. This nesting failure seemed to be due to the basket (one of the ordinary “ foreign finch nest basket ” type) being too small. The closeness of its sides around them evidently provided the Java Sparrows with the same stimulus as would a nest with the outer shell already built. Hence, for the most part they had taken only nest-lining materials and these had been constantly knocked out of the nest when the birds hopped in and out. I removed the basket and substituted a plastic basket (one used for shaking washed lettuces dry, I believe) about 7 inches in diameter. I cut a hole in one side and threaded a few twigs and bits of grass among the plastic bars to give a bit more cover. At first the birds viewed this addition to their world with fear and suspicion but they soon got used to, and, then investigated it, and before the end of the month had begun to build in it. I think the first egg was laid on 3rd March. None having hatched by 23rd March I feared they were addled or infertile. I removed two eggs and, foolishly, broke them open. The first was infertile, the second, to my sorrow and anger, contained a live young one, which was evidently not due to hatch for several days. There were still four more eggs in the nest and when I replaced the nest the parents soon returned. On the 24th I could feel one young one in the nest. On 26th all the remaining eggs had hatched. For a few days all went well, or at least appeared to do so. The parents were assiduous in caring for their DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 57 young. On the 26th I took a nestling out to look at it. It was light pink with the feather tracts showing grey under the skin on the wings only. Most of its bill was blackish, but it had a broad creamy-white gape and gape flanges. The inside of the mouth was pale pinkish without markings. It was plump and healthy, its crop contained millet and a few bits of broken rice or broken peanut. On 1 st April a friend who had looked after my birds that day told me that he was worried as the cock Java Sparrow had looked unwell. He was only too right in his fears. Early on the 2nd I found the male moribund on the floor and he died within half an hour in spite of attempts to revive him with heat. The female did not look well either. She appeared weak on her legs and, although feeding the young, she obviously was not giving them enough as they called loudly and continually for food ; which they had never done before. Previously I had only heard them call, not so intensely as now, when they were actually being fed and in the early morning before their first feed of the day. I tried to force feed both the female and the young with some beaten up raw egg. With little success ; the female indeed looked worse after my ministrations than she had before. Then I had to leave the birds (first putting on a second heater in their room) and hope for the best. When I returned at 5 p.m. all the young were dead. Apparently of cold through the hen not brooding them as they showed no signs of emaciation and two of them still had some of the egg I had fed to them in their crops. The hen bird looked much better and had begun to call, a sure sign that she was no longer seriously ill. How strange it seems to us that the same estrildine that is greatly upset and calls constantly if out of sight of its mate when well, is silent and does not even answer its mate’s calls if it is seriously ill. At a time when one would have thought the mate’s presence might be most desired it is no longer of any importance and the sick bird dies alone or, if it recovers, only then begins to seek to re-establish contact. One can see the biological utility of this behaviour but this does not lessen its pathos. I sent the cock bird for a post-mortem which diagnosed a blood clot on the head. However, I feel certain that the real cause of the trouble was nutritional. The diet that Java Sparrows, or at any rate my Java Sparrows, will take in captivity is, perhaps, sufficient to keep adults in health but as soon as the bird is feeding young (because it then consumes less food itself or because some nutritive secretion is fed to the young ?) it is no longer getting enough of some vital element. The fact that the hen was obviously “ going the same way ” as the cock but quickly recovered as soon as she gave up parental cares makes it pretty certain that the cock’s blood clot was a symptom rather than a cause of his condition. Next day the hen looked as fit as ever. For some weeks I kept her 58 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS alone, then, instead of being sensible and searching round until I could i find a reasonably steady male for her I accepted a friend’s offer of a Java I , Sparrow which he thought was a cock. In this he was correct, the bird proved a male in good condition and of a particularly bluish colour in its grey parts. Its beauty and fitness were, however, its sole recommendations. It was excessively wild and when, after about three weeks, it paired with the hen (for Java Sparrows seem, in my limited experience, much more reluctant to accept a substitute for a lost mate than are pigeons or waxbills who seldom lose much time grieving for the late loved one if an adequate replacement is to hand) , she soon became wild “ in sympathy ”. I was thus able to get far fewer observations on this second male and the hen’s behaviour with him. After I had had them together for about a month they were free together in the house one day and evidently found a window which had been inadvertently left open and escaped through it. I felt a greater guilt at my carelessness which had caused their almost certain death because I could not feel entirely ! sorry at having lost them. Feeding and Food Preferences This information is given for interest not example since, as has been shown, it is highly likely that the feeding of my birds was inadequate. It is hoped that any who have been successful with these birds will make known their own feeding methods in our magazine. My Java Sparrows, so far as I saw, ate nothing but paddy rice if given a free choice. If paddy rice was not available they freely ate canary and millet seed. Soaked and germinating (or dry) spray millet they would eat in some quantity if it was tied near their perch so that they did not have to fly down to the floor of the cage. If they had to do so then they preferred to take paddy rice from the dish. Seeding, flowering and newly growing grasses, chickweed, lettuce, knotgrass, mealworms, and maggots were left untouched. Ripe or unripe wheat or oats in the ear were taken readily, at any rate if they were tied temptingly near a perch. Considerable quantities of sand, mineralized grit and crushed baked eggshell were taken. The seed was treated weekly, rather more often in winter, with halibut oil. Prior to their commencing to nest I had, rightly anticipating that their diet would lead to disaster if they tried to rear young on it, tried to coerce them into eating other foods, inspired by the sight of a Java Sparrow in a zoo eating peanuts. This was successful to the extent that very small quantities of broken peanuts and sponge cake (home¬ made, with eggs) were eaten. However, these foods were never touched until the birds were looking very dejected from hunger, only small quantities of them were taken then and the moment dry seed or paddy rice was available all other foods were ignored. Radtke, who DEREK GOODWIN-— OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 59 successfully reared young from a white male and a captive-bred grey hen, found that his birds refused soft food, live food and sprouted oats but ate and fed to their young large quantities of chickweed. My own pair fed quantities of soaked spray millet to their young, but continued to ignore other supplements to their dry rice diet. The species is said to eat insects in a wild state but I know of no detailed study of it in freedom. However, at least one other estrildine — the Gouldian Finch — which habitually refuses live food in captivity, feeds its young largely on insects in a natural state (Immelmann, 1962) so that it would be unsafe to deny that the Java Sparrow may do likewise. Voice My notes on this subject are tentative, especially as regards the function of the various calls. They are, however, at least more complete than are such other accounts of the voice of the species which I have been able to find (and which I quote here when relevant) and will, I hope, serve as a foundation for anyone undertaking a more detailed study. The Contact Call This is the short, rather liquid “ T’luk ” or “ Ch’luk ”, mono¬ syllabic, but usually repeated many times. It appears to function in maintaining or re-establishing contact between individuals. Possibly it might as well be termed a “ flight-intention 55 call as it usually seems to indicate some degree of disquiet or alarm and readiness to fly away. It is heard in many different degrees of intensity. Typically it is very loud and emphatic in birds which are separated from their companions or which take flight in alarm. If a pair are shut in different rooms both utter this call in answer to the same call from the partner. This call and the trilling call may intergrade. A German aviculturist sometimes heard this call given by a male White Java Sparrow when displaying (Radtke, 1959) and another says (Kunze, 1962) that the song consists only of repetitions of this call note. My own birds never gave this call when displaying but there would appear to be much individual (or racial ?) variation in song and perhaps some males do simply use repetitions of the contact call as their song. The alarm call appeared, to my ears, to be merely a very loud, “ hard-sounding ” version of this call, but further observations on this are needed. The Trilling Call A trill, of varying length, with a strong “ r ” sound in it and usually with rising inflection. May intergrade with the contact call but typically quite distinct from it. A very loud, hard, rattling, long-drawn version is given during successful copulation. 6o DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS This call seems to be an expression of any form of apparently pleasurable excitement connected with reproductive behaviour. It is given by the female, possibly also by the male, when greeting the mate after a brief separation. When they bow in greeting to each other )| just after hopping out of the roosting basket they have shared when the light is put on in the morning. By the female when alighting near nest with a feather and more intensely a moment later as she enters the nest with it. Possibly the male gives it also in this situation but the male would always stop building if he noticed me watching. By one or both of pair during copulation, at the moment that cloacal contact was, apparently, achieved. Not given in attempts at copulation that appeared unsuccessful. Sometimes by female entering nest (without feather) if male already inside. As the female sometimes gave it while the male was giving other vocalizations I am quite sure that she uttered this call. I cannot be sure whether the male also gave the trilling call as at all times when I thought he may have done the female was very near to him. This call was uttered without any marked bill or throat movements. I at first thought that the very distinctive version given in copulation ought to be considered a different call. However, a version intermediate between the “ normal ” high-intensity form of the trilling call and the hard, very long, rattling call given during copulation was heard several times when artificially induced in the following manner. If I shut the male in a different room for an hour or so and then let him fly back into the other room this intermediate version would be given by the female while he was still in the air flying towards her. It was followed by very intense greeting display. That the more usual (non-copulatory) version of the trilling call depends for its intensity and duration on the degree of excitement was also indicated by the female when taking feathers to the nest. She preferred fairly large, fluffy, white feathers and gave much louder, longer trills as she slipped into the nest (or alighted near it) with one of this sort than she did when she had only a small, dark-coloured feather. The Moaning or Mewing Call This call is very difficult to describe but quite unmistakable as, although it varies greatly in loudness, pitch and duration, it bears no resemblance whatever to any other call. At least not to any other Java Sparrow call that I have heard. It is a low-pitched moaning sound, sometimes inclining to a mewing sound, at high intensity so loud and long-drawn out as to be suggestive of some cries of the Herring Gull (the “ mewing 55 cries) at low intensity only a very soft, intermittent moan. It always, however, has a very “ complaining ” tone, slightly querulous also at times but the “ complaining 55 sound is DEREK GOODWIN OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 6 1 always present and so striking to the human ear as to tend to make one at once “jump to the conclusion ” that it must be a note of protest. But this is far from certain. On the only occasions when I am sure this call was given by the female of my pair (that is when the male was singing in the nest while she gave it) she gave it in a much higher-pitched and “ sweeter ” sounding form than that usually given. This call was given when both birds were in the nest-basket at the same time. Usually it was uttered when one bird entered the basket in which the other was already present. Thus it was given when one of the pair entered to take over incubation of the eggs or brooding of the young or when one entered with nesting material when the other was already in the nest. It was not, however, confined to such repro¬ ductive situations since it was heard from birds going to roost, not only from the breeding pair but also from the male and/or his original (probably male) mate who had shown no signs of nesting. The most intense versions were, however, heard from the breeding pair while nesting. On very few occasions the male introduced short, low- intensity versions of this call into his song or it might be more correct to say interspersed his song with them. I am uncertain as to the functions of this call or the exact circum¬ stances under which it is given since (except when the male gave it while singing) I was never able to actually see the calling birds. It would seem likely that it has some appeasing function. It might even express an inhibited aggressiveness of a bird “ resentful ” at being crowded to one side or reluctant to leave its eggs. Since it is only (in my experience) given when both birds are together in the nest or roosting-basket it can hardly be equated with the nest-calling of other estrildines. The PJVest Call I sometimes heard a very soft, repeated “ tut- tut- tut- tut ...” suggestive of a very tender, soft version of the contact call but with all the notes “ run together ”. Very suggestive of the nest calling of other estrildines. It was, however, only heard when both members of the pair were together inside the nest. Kunze (1962) says the hen Java Sparrow has a very pleasant nest call that sounds like “ tuituituit ” but does not give further details. The Song There would appear to be much individual or racial variation in the song of the Java Sparrow. According to Butler (1899) the songs of the wild grey form and the domesticated white form differ consistently. However, it is certain that there is much difference even between the songs of different wild caught birds. Thus I paraphrased the two 5 62 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS songs of my breeding male as “ Chu-chillik, chu-chillik, chillik-eee ” and “ chillick-chillick-eee ”. Pialek (1958) who bred numbers of the grey form in a large aviary describes the song as a very pleasant- sounding simple fluting song (“ Ein recht wohlklingenden einfachen Geflote ”). Musil (i960) reported that his Java Sparrows hissed atone another in courtship display (when the majority of males, like mine, apparently sing) . Morris ( 1 958) apparently studied a number of males (he does not say how many but infers a number was involved) all of which ended their songs with a very long-drawn whistled “ weeeeeeee The song of my second male (the very timid one) was much softer, sweeter and rather more complex than that of the other. Song is given by a male in breeding condition when he is alone or at any rate out of sight of the female and also in the courtship display. These at least are the situations in which song is almost invariably heard from a male in breeding condition and they parallel the situations in which most other estrildines utter their songs. Less often, however, the song may be given when in sight of the female and on several occasions I heard the male sing when both he and the female were in the nest together. Since there was no sound of jumping it is unlikely the male was then trying to display to the female. Possibly in the darkened nest the male may at times be unable to see the female and this may stimulate song (as it certainly does when the pair are outside) even though the female is with him. Bill-snapping A rather loud snapping or clicking sound, apparently made by snapping the mandibles together, was usually given by my breeding male just before beginning to sing in the courtship display. Some Aspects of Behaviour The Greeting Display In this the members of a pair hop or sidle towards one another. As they come together they bow their heads to their feet or towards the other bird’s feet then lift their heads, each in turn puts its head over the other’s (see sketch), then they bow again. This may all be repeated several times. The trilling call (q.v.) accompanies or prefaces this display. At low intensity only the bowing movement may be shown and it may be merely “ suggested ”. One bird only may bow, one may bow more deeply than the other ; only one may put its head above the other’s head. This display is shown whenever the pair come together after some little separation. High intensity versions could always be artificially induced by separating the cock and hen (shutting them in different rooms) for half an hour or so and then allowing them to come together DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 63 by opening the intervening doors. On such occasions the greeting display would be immediately followed by the birds sitting pressed very closely together for some five minutes or more. It was shown also by my birds when they came out of their roosting baskets, the homologous displays of my waxbills of the genera Uraeginthus , Estrilda , Lagonosticta and Amandava is also shown as soon as I switch on the light in their room in the mornings. The sudden light is for the birds a situation rather similar to reunion after separation in that the members (1) Java Sparrow in the bowing phase of the greeting display. (2) Female self-assertively putting her head above that of her mate. This behaviour is also shown “ in turn ” during the greeting display. of the pair suddenly see one another again after a period with no visual stimulus from the partner. In the Java Sparrow (and probably in other species also) the lowering of the head probably expresses submissiveness or “ inferiority 55 and the placing of head above or higher than the other bird’s dominance or “ superiority ”. At least this appears to be their significance when they are performed singly. When they are combined in the full greeting display they seem to express rather mutual esteem or affection. The same is true of many other bird displays some of which incorporate very obvious elements of hostile behaviour (See Goodwin, 1956 for fuller discussion of this) . If this display were confined to the Java Sparrow one could suggest that the bowing of the head might be a ritualized aggressive movement as this species often bites at the feet of another bird when attacking it. However, as there are homologous displays in other species, including that of the Dark Fire-finch ( Lagonosticta rubricata) which is extremely similar in form to that of the Java Sparrow, and these do not try to bite their enemies’ feet, there seems no justification for postulating such an origin to the bowing of the Java Sparrow. 64 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS The Courtship Display and Copulation The Java Sparrow has a display which is homologous to the bowing display of Amandava and the stem display of other waxbills (see Goodwin, i960, Harrison, 1962, Kunkel, 1959). In this display the male adopts a peculiar bent-over posture. In this posture (see sketch) he bounces up and down on the perch, sidling nearer to his mate as he does so. His feet usually leave the perch at each jump and make quite a loud noise as they strike it again. His lowered head is above perch level (3) “ Bent-over ” posture of male in courtship display. most of the time and only slightly turned towards the female but every few seconds (but I think not at every jump) he lowers it more deeply till it is at or below perch level, at the same time giving a waggling movement suggesting an exaggerated symbolic “ bill- wiping ” and as he does this his head is turned rather more towards the female. His head plumage is arranged to make a “ triangular head 55 but this is less marked than in waxbills ; his tail is twisted towards the female but again less so than in the waxbills. As my male began to display he commonly gave very excited- sounding contact calls which become more intense as he adopted the bent posture and turned to loud bill clicking which in turn gave way to song as he neared the female. Often, the male began to display in silence and sometimes the clicking notes were altogether omitted. Always, however, the male sang as he began to draw himself more erect in readiness to mount the female even if he had not sung before, unless the female forestalled this (as she often did) by soliciting at an earlier stage of the display. Once the male had begun this display he would always respond to soliciting of the female by mounting her immediately, even if this occurred before he had begun to utter bill clicks or song. The female’s response to this display varies. Its most spectacular form is when she adopts the same posture as the male and bounces DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 65 up and down also with the same head movements. As the pair come together, or shortly after they have done so she goes from the bent over posture into the usual solicitation posture of hen estrildines, crouching horizontally with somewhat raised and quivering tail. The male then mounts and copulates. I saw this behaviour on two occasions from a pair of grey Java Sparrows kept in a window aviary by an airline company in Bond Street. Owing to the plate glass I could not hear if the female also called but she did not appear to do so. A pair of White Java Sparrows owned by Radtke (1959) are said to have invariably given this form of display and response in a completely stereotyped manner. Another continental aviculturist who kept and bred the white domestic form merely records the female as edging along the perch towards the male, thus implying that she did not join in the display (Kapzynski, 1961). I never saw my female display in the same manner as the male in response to his doing so although I watched a number of successful copulations and many more attempts by the male (prefaced by display) that came to nothing owing to the unco-operativeness of his mate. If she was in the mood for copulation she would respond to his display by hopping or sidling towards him and immediately solicit with crouched posture and quivering tail. Often she did this the moment the male began to display, even before he had got fully into the bent over posture. If she was unwilling she would hop up to the male and put her head over his as soon as he began to get ready to mount her or even before, at other times she would hop away, stay where she was and peck at the male’s bill as he neared her, or simply take no notice and then slip from under him when he tried to mount her. Successful copulation was always followed immediately by aggressive behaviour. Usually this was initiated by the female. As he dismounted the male would adopt a rather upright posture (see sketch) similar to that used when singing alone. The female would at once peck fiercely at his bill and face. He would usually reply in kind and a brief but fierce pecking match would ensue. Usually they pecked only at each others bills and faces but in a very evidently “ vicious ” manner, quite unlike the “ pulled punch ” pecking duels in which pairs of wax- bills sometimes indulge. Sometimes they pecked at each other’ feet also, but not very often. As their aggression died down mandibulation would replace pecking and the birds would then give the greeting display. Often their anger would flare briefly again and they would recommence fighting even after giving a loMdjitensity version of the greeting display. On one occasion the male definitely started the post copulation hostilities, pecking fiercely at the female before she made a move to attack him. Similar post-copulatory aggression has been recorded for the Spice Bird ( Lonchura punctulata ) (Moynihan and Hall, 1954). 66 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS (4) Posture adopted by male immedi¬ ately after coition. A very similar stance is usually (but not always) assumed by the male when singing alone. Whilst nesting and laying the female sometimes hopped up to the male whirring her tail violently (the movement appearing to me nearer to that made when drying after a bath than when soliciting) and then put her head over his or else peck at his bill or feet. Some¬ times this developed into an attack in which she chased the male about the cage or room, sometimes the male would peck back at her. I had the impression that this behaviour was caused by the female being sexually aroused but the male failing to satisfy her by displaying. At all events on the days when the female behaved in this manner she responded immediately by soliciting if the male began his courtship display. The female Canary often attacks her mate if he does not respond to her sexual advances (Nicolai, i960) . “ Hell hath no fury ...” As in some other aspects of its voice and behaviour the Java Sparrow apparently, however, shows considerable individual or racial variation in its post-copulatory behaviour. Thus Radtke (1959) records that his male always sang immediately after copulation. He does not mention what the hen did but obviously the male could not have sung had she attacked him. Kapzynski (1961), speaking of the white form, says that the female pecks gently (italics mine) at the male’s head after copulation and that he “ crouches patiently ”. Obviously both the above aviculturists must have owned Java Sparrows a good deal less aggressive than mine ! Nesting For nesting purposes my birds chose the longest, toughest and most wiry of the many sorts of dead grasses I gave them. Long, thin, pliant twigs of weeping birch were also readily taken. Soft or short grasses DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 67 were practically ignored. Some dead, tough bindweed vines were taken very eagerly. A large, globular nest was built in the plastic basket already mentioned. The cup of the nest lay very deep within and was lined with feathers. Body feathers of domestic fowl and a few pigeons’ feathers were supplied. Fairly large, fluffy, white or nearly white feathers were preferred. So far as I saw only the male built the outer part of the nest. The female would accompany him as he did so but never attempted to carry anything to the nest. She may have done some arranging from the inside but there was no proof of this. Both sexes, however, took feathers to line the nest and continued to do so throughout the incubation period. They showed no interest in bits of burnt wood as some estril- dines do. All material was carried by one end in the usual estrildine manner. Parental Behaviour Both sexes incubated and brooded. One bird was always present in the nest (though probably not incubating) from the time the first egg was laid. I did not record the periods for which each sat. They relieved each other about every 20 to 30 minutes or even more often, at least on those days or parts of days when I took note of them. When off duty the male frequently sang except on the day before his death. Behaviour towards doves I have previously described (Goodwin, 1952) how the Java Sparrows that I kept in my boyhood roosted under Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) that were kept with them. When the Turtle Doves were nesting they would choose an incubating individual to roost under (probably because it was easier to creep beneath) but at other times they would roost alongside or (more often) between the legs of a dove roosting in the ordinary way. Morris (1956) recorded similar behaviour between Java Sparrows and Spotted Doves [Streptopelia chinensis ). I have since discussed this matter with other aviculturists and those of them who had kept Java Sparrows with doves of the genus Strepto¬ pelia had all observed similar behaviour. One, whom I recently spoke to, was keeping Java Sparrows with Spotted Doves and he found that his birds tended to roost perched on the dove rather than against or underneath it as would appear to be more usual. Morris interpreted this behaviour as being due to the fact that the dove’s rounded form suggests the form of a fluffed out estrildine such as others tend to clump with but being “ bigger and better ” it supplies a super-normal stimulus. Kunkel (1959) criticised this interpretation on the grounds that such an unselective “ clumping ” reaction would be impossible in a wild state and suggested that the Java Sparrows concerned are merely trying to keep warm. He points out that 68 DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS estrildines (or many of them) if very cold will clump together regardless of species. My own experience, admittedly limited, of Java Sparrows suggests that they do not clump very freely among themselves except with their own mates. Moreover, Morris’ Java Sparrows defended “ their ” doves against rivals whereas had they been suffering from cold one might have expected them to welcome anyone who wanted to join the huddle. Estrildines will quite quickly learn to toast them¬ selves by a light bulb, bar-heater or other source of artificial warmth but the fact that all Java Sparrows appear to react to all Streptopelia doves in the above-described manner seems to rule out acquired behaviour or, at any rate, behaviour acquired subsequent to capture. I consider it not impossible that wild Java Sparrows may exploit some species of dove in this way. Observations on their behaviour in a wild state are much to be desired. Aviculturists could, however, provide information that would give much insight into this behaviour. For example ; anyone who keeps Java Sparrows might be able to answer one or more of these questions. (1) Is this behaviour shown towards birds other than doves? (It was not shown towards cockatiels, lovebirds and Rain Quails by some Java Sparrows I observed kept with those species.) (2) If more than one species of dove are kept with the Java Sparrows which do they choose ? Are any species of doves not used (by Java Sparrows known to exploit other doves). (3) Do the white or pied domesticated Java Sparrows react in the same way ? (4) Does the reaction vary with temperature ? (5) Is it also shown by breeding Java Sparrows ? (6) Do Java Sparrows kept in hot countries (Africa, parts of Australia) show this reaction ? If any reader can supply answers to any of the above questions or any other information on this or other aspects of Java Sparrow behaviour it is much to be hoped that they will publish their observations in our magazine. Concluding Remarks I think I have shown that although so common a bird in captivity with us the Java Sparrow is of great interest and poses not a few problems both in regard to its behaviour and, on a practical level, in the matter of correct feeding. By this I mean a diet that will achieve constant breeding success ; the adults are easy enough to keep in apparent health when not breeding. Most of the successful breedings of the wild form seem to have occurred in outdoor aviaries and often without their owners being aware of exactly which of the available foods the Javas were taking. Although, as I have said, circumstantial evidence suggests that the DEREK GOODWIN - OBSERVATIONS ON JAVA SPARROWS 69 domesticated white and pied Java Sparrows are by no means so easy to breed as they are usually stated to be, it is, nevertheless, clear that they are very much easier than the wild form. They are also tamer or at least less timid, from what little I have seen of them. It is very likely that it would be possible by crossing domestic pied birds with wild ones (carefully selecting the least timid individuals of the latter form) to succeed in, eventually, producing wild-coloured Java Sparrows that were relatively tame and would breed freely in captivity. Any person with time, facilities and patience to embark on such a project would, if successful, achieve a far more worthy end than the innumer¬ able fanciers who spend time and money to produce ever more monstrous macrocephaline Budgerigars or more distorted Canaries. Note. — The line sketches are intended to give an idea of the postures described. They have no pretension to art or detailed accuracy. REFERENCES Butler, A. G. (1899). Foreign Finches in Captivity. London. Goodwin, D. (1952). Recollections of some small birds. Avicult. Mag., 58, 1, 24-9. - (1956). Further observations on the behaviour of the Jay. Ibis, 98, 186-219. - (i960). Observations on Avadavats and Golden-breasted Waxbills. Avicult. Mag. 66, 5, 1 74-1 99. Harrison, C. J. O. (1962). An ethological comparison of some waxbills (Estrildini) and its relevance to their taxonomy. Proc. £ool. Soc., Lond., 139, 2, 261-282. Immelmann, K. (1962). Beitrage zu einer vergleichenden Biologie australischer Prachtfinken (Spermestidae) . Z00^ Jb- Syst., Bd. 90, 1-196. Kapzynski, B. (1961). Freude am weissen Reisfinken. Die Gefiederte Welt, 1961, 12, 228-9. Kunkel, P. (1959). Zum Verhalten einiger Prachtfinken. Zel^chrift fur Tierpsychologie, 16, 302-350. Kunze, H. D. (1962). Zum Verhalten der Reisfinken. Die Gefiederte Welt, 1962, 3, 57-8. Morris, D. (1956). The feather postures of birds and the problem of the origin of social signals. Behaviour, 9, 75-113. Moynihan, M., and Hall, F. (1954). Hostile, sexual and other social behaviour patterns of the Spice Finch in captivity. Behaviour, 7, 33-76. Musil, A. (i960), Aufzucht von Reisfinken. Die Gefiederte Welt, i960, 1, 14-16. Nicolai, J. (1959). Verhaltensstudien an einigen afrikanischen und palaarktischen Girlitzen. £00/. Jb. Syst., 87, 317-362. Pialek, Dr. W. (1958). Einiges uber Reisfinken. Die Gefiederte Welt, 1958, 12, 236-8. Radtke, G. A. (1959). Zum Balzverhalten und zur Haltung der Reisfinken. Die Gefiederte Welt, 1959, 2, 23-5. 70 HARTLEY KING-— BREEDING THE ROCK PARRAKEET BREEDING THE ROCK PARRAKEET {Neophema petrophila) By Hartley King (St. James, Western Australia) I had a surprise breeding of my Rock Parrakeets (. Neophema petrophila ) this year (1962). I have had two pairs of these birds for four years now and although they nested each year, nothing ever came of their efforts. The first two years I had them in the finch aviary with a mixed collec¬ tion of Australian finches ; the third year I housed them on their own ; and this year they were in a large aviary 14 feet by 48 feet by 10 feet high, together with two pairs of Bourkes, one pair of Regents, one pair of Western Rosellas (Stanleys), two pairs of Cockatiels, a few doves and a pair of Indian Peafowl. The aviary is covered in at both ends to a depth of 6 feet and numerous nest-boxes were scattered about under cover. I had given up the idea of breeding Rocks until such times as I could provide a large slab of limestone in which was a suitable cavity. This I intended to place under a dripping tap to supply the moisture that I had become convinced was an essential. However, I did have hopes that the Regents might go to next even though they were but a year old, and to this end I placed a hollow log some 10 inches in diameter and 4 feet long, at an angle of 30 degrees in the open flight, and wrapped felt round the outside to afford some protection from our hot summer sun. Whilst the Cockatiels, Rosellas, Bourkes, doves, etc., went to nest in various sites, not a single bird showed the slightest interest in my special log. It so happened that the log was situated directly behind a large lemon tree and it is my practice on hot days (which means almost every day through the breeding season) to send a spray of water high above the tree, which serves the dual purpose of watering the tree and the surrounding plants and also allows the birds in the aviaries round about to indulge in a shower if they so desire. Thus it came about that the log was under a spray of water for an average of if hours during the hottest part of the day. Early in January I concluded that the log was not going to be used and decided to take it down. I was just about to cut it down when I was prompted to take a glance inside. I lifted the lid and lo and behold there was a Rock hen with four little heads peeping through the feathers. Needless to say I slipped the lid back on and scrambled down smartly, after which I left things severely alone. Some ten days later there were four fine young Rock Parrakeets flying about the aviary. I will maintain the same conditions next year and keep a much closer watch on the female Rock. There are very large numbers of Rocks in Western Australia, mostly on the off-shore islands or the rocky parts of the coastline south and east to South Australia from a point about 100 miles north of Perth. By the way, St. James is in the Perth metropolitan area 7 miles from the centre of the city. JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 7 1 THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 4. THE BLUE-BONNET By Joseph M. Forshaw (Canberra, Australia) (Continued from Vol. 68, No. 6, page 207) 4. The Blue-Bonnet (. Psephotus haematogaster ) The second new species of Australian parrot presented by John , Gould to the Zoological Society in London on 26th September, 1837, was the Blue-bonnet. This bird was also placed in the genus Platycercus with the remark that it was the most beautiful member of the genus yet discovered. The red patch on the abdomen was the cause of its being called Platycercus haematogaster. The species was later included in Psephotus and Ps. haematogaster became established. In 1912 Mathews created the genus Northiella for the Blue-bonnet. It was noted that the species differed from other members of Psephotus by having the first five wing primaries attenuated into spatulate tips. Although this difference hardly warrants a generic differentiation, it gains much importance when considered together with other distinc¬ tions such as presence of blue cheek patches, larger and heavier bill, larger general size with a more bulky appearance, and stronger call. There does seem to be some justification for the separation but this must be weighed against the convenience factor before any hasty ideas are formed. Most taxonomists have come to the conclusion that it is much more convenient to retain the Blue-bonnet as a member of Psephotus and the author is in complete agreement with this decision. Although not amongst the most brilliant of parrots, the Blue-bonnet exhibits an extremely fascinating colour pattern and it impresses all who meet with it. The adult male has the upper parts ash-brown with the crown, face and cheek patches blue. The blue is much deeper, with a mauve tint, on the forehead. The breast is of a lighter ash-brown colour with the feathers having buff spots on them thus creating an overall speckled appearance. The abdomen is yellow with a red centre patch. The vent is yellow with a few faint red markings in some old birds. The median wing coverts are olive coloured. The shoulders are turquoise blue merging into a brilliant ultramarine blue on the primary coverts. The rump and upper tail coverts are ash-brown with the central tail feathers a somewhat darker shade of the same colour merging with a dark blue on the outer edges. The secondary tail feathers are lighter with more blue. The undersides of the tail feathers are white. The female and immatures are somewhat lighter in general colour. It is a medium-sized bird and a male taken by the author at Tero Creek in 72 JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA far north-western New South Wales on 16th August, 1962, gave the following measurements and details : — inches. Total Length . 1 2 ’ 7 Tail 6-6 Wingspan i5’25 Bill white, iris dark brown and feet slate grey. Psephotus haematogaster is a bird of the interior and inhabits semi-arid, arid, and desert areas. The distinct subspecies recognized correspond roughly in distribution to these zones. The interior of southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia constitute the range of this species, while one isolated race inhabits an area in Western Australia. Five subspecies have been described from within this range, but the dismissal of one of these is here advocated. Ps. haematogaster haematogaster is the race described in the plumage description above, and inhabits the arid interior of South Australia, Avicult. Mag. Copyright ] The Blue-bonnet ( Psephotus haematogaster) [N. Chaffer Copyright ] [/. Forshaw Tero Creek Station, Far North-western New South Wales : Haunt of the Blue-bonnet (Ps. haematogaster). [To face p. 7 JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 73 Victoria, far western New South Wales and far south-western Queens¬ land. It is by far the most common of the subspecies and enjoys the widest range. Considerable confusion was created at the turn of the century when it was realized that Gould described the above race as the typical form in 1837, but pictured the red-vented race in his Birds of Australia published some twenty-five years later. Bonaparte, not realizing Gould’s error, immediately applied the name Ps. h. xanthorrhoa to the yellow- vented form. This state of affairs existed until 1913 when Mathews discovered the fault. Ps. h. xanthorrhoa was immediately made a synonym for the typical yellow-vented race and the red-vented form was named Ps. h. zanda. A short while later it was discovered that, in spite of all the confusion, Gould had actually succeeded in tabulating the red-vented race in 1865 and he was thus granted the final honours. Psephotus haematogaster haematorrhous was described by Gould in 1865. This subspecies differs from the typical race in having the centre red abdominal patch continue through the vent, and in having the inner median and greater wing-coverts blood red. This beautiful and distinctive race inhabits the semi-arid areas of southern Queensland and New South Wales. The southern limit of the range of this race is uncertain but records exist for Wellington, N.S.W., while the author has observed it on many occasions a few miles north of Dubbo, N.S.W. Intermediates between this and the typical form exist and one such bird that the author observed in captivity was reported to have come from twenty miles north of Leeton, N.S.W. In 1912 G. Mathews described Ps. haematogaster alter from a specimen taken at Murtoa in the Mallee area of Victoria. This race was reported to differ from the typical form in its much larger size and in having the under-tail-coverts greenish yellow. This latter colour difference he altered to green in 1913. From all subsequent reports and personal observations the author cannot agree with this colour distinction as put forward by Mathews. Although there is a report of some immature females from the South Australian Mallee areas having yellowish- green under-tail-coverts, the universal colour for all adults from this area is pale lemon-yellow. As regards the larger size the above state¬ ment does not withstand investigation. Individual Blue-bonnets vary somewhat in size and a standard larger size from this area does not exist. A pair of birds belonging to this race was collected by a party, of which the author was a member, at East Wellington, South Australia, in March, 1962. The measurements obtained were as follows : — Total length, Wingspan, in. in. Adult male . . . . . 12-2 14*5 Adult female . . . . . 11*7 14*5 74 JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA As one can see these birds were smaller than the typical Ps. h. haemato - 1 gaster whose measurements are given above. The conclusion the author draws regarding this race is that, although a slight difference exists in so far as the birds of the Mallee areas of Victoria and South Australia are slightly paler in colour, the subspecies Ps. h. alter as described by Mathews is not acceptable. In 1891 T. Salvadori tabulated Ps. h. pallescens from a specimen 1 collected at Cooper’s Creek, South Australia. This race is distinguished by the very pale upper surface and breast, while the olive patch on the median wing coverts is a more yellowish colour. This is a bird of the desert regions of the Lake Eyre Basin, one of the driest areas of Australia, and it illustrates clearly the effect of environmental factors on the development of a species. This race is similar in its distinctiveness to Ps. haematonotus caeruleus of the same area. Psephotus haemato gaster narethae was tabulated by H. L. White as a new species in 1921. It retained its specific rank for twenty years and was then reduced to sub-specific status. White presented this subspecies as a result of three skins collected by F. L. Whitlock at Naretha, Western Australia. Four hundred miles of barren, waterless desert isolates this distinct race from the eastern forms. The Naretha Parrot or Little Blue-bonnet, as Ps. h. narethae is often called, differs markedly from the typical race. A full description of the male is the best means of illustrating the differences. The measurements of the type specimens are as follows : — Adult male Adult female . Total Wing Length, Length, Tail, ins. ins. ins. 11-25 4-8 6-8 10-25 4-1 6-03 The general colour above, including the greater portion of the head, the fore-neck and chest, pale brown, becoming a greyish-olive on the back. The rump and upper tail-coverts are a rich olive yellow. The nape, hind-neck, throat and upper breast are mottled with a light buff. The forehead and upper ear-coverts are a greenish-blue, changing to a deep purplish-blue on the lower ear-coverts, which have an edging of very pale yellow. This two- tone extensive facial colouring is markedly different from that of the typical race. The abdomen is very deep yellow with no red patch, while the flanks are washed with greyish olive. The under tail-coverts are vermilion. Greenish-blue is the colour of the lesser wing-coverts and shoulders. The outer median wing-coverts are scarlet, while olive yellow is the colour of the inner median and greater wing-coverts. The inner secondaries are also olive yellow, while the outer secondaries, primary coverts and primaries are ultramarine blue. The central tail feathers are dull JOSEPH M. FORSHAW-— THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 75 olive-green washed with blue, while the secondary tail feathers are dull deep blue with white on the outer edges. Under the tail feathers is white washed with blue. The sexual difference is more obvious with this race than with Ps. h. haematogaster. The hen Ps. h. narethae is much duller with the colours on the wings, ear-coverts and abdomen greatly reduced. The smaller size of the female is also evident. A bird of the semi-arid and arid areas, Ps. haematogaster is often observed flying over heath, saltbush or spinifex plains or through Mallee trees. The flight is undulating and not unlike that of the Platycercus sp. except that the wings are left extended and not withdrawn between wing beats. The birds generally fly quite close to the ground rising over the higher bushes and dropping down immediately to the lower level again. If the bush or Mallee gum is of comparatively large size, the birds will swing to the side and straighten on the other side. Frequently a small party of birds in flight will part on coming to a Mallee gum, some going to the right, others to the left, and rejoining once the tree has been bypassed. Both these methods of avoiding natural obstacles, when in flight, have a certain fascination about them, especially as the flashes of brilliant blue from the wings provide a beautiful relief in what is often a desolate setting. Whilst in flight the call is nearly always used. The call note of this species is most distinctive and cannot be mis¬ taken for any other parrot within its range. It somewhat resembles the alarm call of the Rosellas but is of a sharper tone. A rough indica¬ tion of the sound is given by placing one’s hands on a medium sized hand-bell and ringing it. A high pitched piping whistle is also employed. Although this species generally feeds in silence sometimes a chatter will be heard. The food of the Blue-bonnet consists of seeds of grasses and other plants and shrubs. Most of the seeds are procured on the ground and, as the bird usually feeds under a tree or shrub or some such shaded area, it is most difficult to observe without warning and usually a person is not aware of its presence until he flushes it from the ground. When running on the ground Ps. haematogaster has a most curious upright stance and appears to stretch itself to its maximum height. In some areas within the range of this species, the seeds of Saltbush (. Atriplex vesicarum) and Bluebush ( Kochia sedifolia) are firm favourites. A close examination of the crop of a bird taken at Moree, N.S.W. in 1909 revealed mainly small grass seeds supplemented by fragments of stamens of flowers and pieces of charcoal. Ps. haematogaster shows a marked preference for certain trees within its range and so strong is this ecological factor that one can foretell the occurrence of these birds merely by the vegetation. In some areas false sandalwood (Myoporum platycarpum) is the favoured habitat while in the more eastern areas Bull-oak or She-oak trees ( Casuarina sp.) and 76 JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA Native Pine ( Callistris sp.) are the most popular. So noticeable is the second as a favoured habitat that another name for this bird is Bull-oak Parrot. An interesting account of the relationship between Ps. h. narethae I and the vegetation among which it lives was given by J. Galaby in ! 1956. Two species of Acacias (A. sowdenii and A. aneura) were the dominant trees in the locality while the single species of Gasuarina (C. cristata) was really quite rare, generally occurring in scattered i groves. It was found, however, that the Naretha Parrot did rely on I these few Casuarinas because they were the only species in the area in ! which hollows formed. Unlike most other broadtailed parrots this species is exceedingly 1 quiet while roosting during the heat of the day. Frequently when the ; author has been seeking these birds he has almost given away the | search when suddenly a party of Blue-bonnets will be literally stumbled ; on as they roost in the centre of bush, shrub or small tree. When these ; birds are aroused in such a manner they call excitedly and raise the i feathers on their foreheads and crowns while the wings are raised in j the folded position. The raising of the crown and forehead feathers is most interesting and, because of the plumage on these parts, it is most impressive with this species. Although it does not associate in large flocks as does Ps. haematonotus , the Blue-bonnet is a comparatively common bird and most country dwellers from the interior know it. Shearing quarters and storage sheds generally have a couple of pairs of these birds in the near vicinity while the dams on outback properties are visited twice a day by many small parties. Sexing Blue-bonnets in the field is a very difficult task, but when the birds are in the hand a combination of differences will usually solve the problem. The female is generally smaller in size, more slender in build and duller in colour than her mate. The “ wing-stripe ” is a valuable indication of sex with this species. Immatures show the stripe but it tends to be less marked with the males. With the adult bird the position is much clearer with most females retaining the stripe and almost all males losing it. It is true that exceptions to these main distinctions occur but when all the differences are taken and applied together the risk of failing to distinguish the sexes is almost eliminated. The activity of these birds increases as August inaugurates the breeding season. The males can be observed displaying before their mates on the branches of trees and bushes. The display is performed by the male while in a very upright position. The wings are raised and vibrated in the folded position, the head is held upright and bobbed forward, while the tail is spread and moved quickly from side to side. The interesting addition to the display of this species is that the feathers of the forehead and crown are raised. Because of the plumage of the JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 77 head and facial parts of the Blue-bonnet this raising of the feathers becomes the most striking feature of the display. Both sexes take part in the selection of the nesting site, which is a hollow limb or hole in the trunk of a tree. Except for the timber bordering watercourses and dams, most trees in the areas frequented by this parrot are relatively small. This results in most nesting hollows being small cavities close to the ground. However, in many cases this disadvantage is counterbalanced by the great depth of the nesting hollow resulting in the nesting chamber being a considerable distance from the entrance. The bottom of the nesting hollow is lined with decayed wood and eggs are deposited in a shallow excavation. Four to seven, usually five, eggs form the clutch. The eggs are pure white, round in shape with a smooth glossy surface. The average measurements of the eggs are 0-94 by 0*83 inches. The eggs of Ps. haematogaster narethae are slightly smaller than those of the other races. The average measure¬ ments of these eggs are 0-89 by o • 72 inches. They also differ in being dull without gloss and in having a rough surface. The eggs are laid at forty-eight hour intervals and incubation commences with the laying of the second egg. The hen only incubates and is fed by her mate during the three weeks sitting. The female sits very tightly and the author has found, during the examination of many nests, that she will not leave until the very last minute. Newly-hatched nestlings are naked and helpless and are closely brooded by the female. Down quickly appears followed by the gradual appearance of feathers. The cock bird, although not permitted to feed the young until they are progressing favourably, is a most attentive parent feeding the female who in turn feeds the regurgitated food to her offspring. Approximately four weeks after hatching the young leave the nest and are fed by their parents until they become fully independent. The young often remain with their parents for quite some time thus accounting for the usual small parties observed. Rarely is Ps. haematogaster double brooded but the breeding season, which usually lasts from August to December, is often altered by the rains and in this way some pairs will produce young twice in a year. This correlation between climate and breeding times applies to a great number of the birds inhabiting the interior parts of the continent. Besides governing the breeding seasons, the climatic conditions also have a marked effect on the general ecology of this species. In times of drought the birds will often associate in flocks and move from the drier areas towards the rivers and billabongs. This movement usually brings them into contact with Ps. haematonotus and the two species will occasionally join forces. Damage to grain crops frequently follows the 6 78 JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA formation of these flocks especially if food is not plentiful as is often the case in times of drought. Because of its extremely spiteful disposition the Blue-bonnet is not a popular aviary bird. It is very pugnacious and is quite capable of killing other species much larger than itself. However, if housed separately, this species is a most fascinating inmate with its constant movements, most of which are executed in the characteristic jerky manner, and playful actions. If swings and other objects are placed in the aviary the birds will spend many hours with the plaything. Successful breeding of this species in captivity is not an easy task. Although it has been bred overseas on numerous occasions there are few records for this country. It is not easy to obtain a suitable pair of birds as some individuals are not kindly disposed towards others. Once a pair have mated, however, they remain strongly attached to each other. Once the breeding pairs have been isolated two hollow logs or nesting boxes should be provided. The cock bird will become increasingly dominant over his mate and will chase her into the nesting hollows. Once the hen has commenced incubation the pair should not be disturbed as she will usually leave the eggs at the slightest interference. This is in direct contrast to breeding in the wild state where the hen sits very tightly. Very few hybrids with this species have been recorded but the typical race has often been crossed with the red- vented form. Intermediates between these races do occur in the wild state. The diet recommended for aviary birds is a mixture of plain canary seed, sunflower, millet and a little hemp when this is available. A small quantity of oats may be given but too much of this seems to be detri¬ mental to the health of these birds. Sprays of seeding grasses and gum tips are always appreciated. A plentiful supply of green food is essential, while pieces of apple are often relished. Although not amongst the brightest of the parrots, Ps. haematogaster has numerous compensations that make it a most fascinating species. A bright flash of colour as it flies over the semi-arid plains of the interior, the Blue-bonnet brings life and brightness to a somewhat desolate environment. It is still another gem in the wonderful avian jewellery store — Australia. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ashby, E. “ Notes on Some of the Birds met with in the Neighbourhood of Pugonda,” Emu, vol. 17, no. 4, 1918. Barrett, G. “ Bird Life on Yanco Creek, N.S.W.,” Emu, vol. 16, no. 1, 1916. Boehm, E. F. “ Parrots and Cockatoos of the Mt. Mary Plains, South Australia,” Emu, vol. 59, no. 2, 1959. Cain, A. J. “ A Revision of Some Parrots,” Ibis, vol. 97, no. 3, 1955. Calaby, J. H. “ Recent Observations on the Naretha Parrot,” Western Australian Naturalist, vol. 6, no. 6, 1958. JOSEPH M. FORSHAW - THE PARROTS OF AUSTRALIA 79 Campbell, A. J. Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, Part II, 1901. - “ Annotations,” Emu , vol. 6, no. 4, 1907. Cleland, J. M. “ Examination of Contents of Stomachs and Crops of Some Australian Birds,” Emu, vol. 9, no. 4, 1910. Condon, H. T. “ The Australian Broad- tailed Parrots,” Records of South Aust. Museum , vol. 7, pp. 1 17-141, 1942. Ford, H. W. “ Bird Notes from Marong (Bendigo District) from 1904 to 1907,” Emu, vol. 8, no. 1, 1908. Gould, J. Proc. £ool. Soc., Lond., 1837. Lendon, A. H. “ The ‘ Wing-stripe ’ as an Indication of Sex and Maturity in the Australian Broadtailed Parrots,” Avicult. Mag., 5th Series, vol. 6, no. 5, I94I- - Australian Parrots in Captivity, 1951. Macgillivray, W. D. K. “ Through a Drought-stricken Land, Part II,” Emu, vol. 29, no. 2, 1929. Macgillivray, W. “ A Spring Excursion into South West Queensland,” Emu, vol. 24, no. 1, 1924. McGilp, J. N. “ Birds of Lake Frome District, South Australia,” Emu, voi. 22, no. 4, I923- - “ Birds of the Musgrave Ranges,” Emu, vol. 34, no. 3, 1935. Mathews, G. M. A Working List of Australian Birds, 1946. - “ Notes on Platycercus (haematogaster) , Gould,” The South Australian Ornithologist, vol. 1, no. 2, 1914. - “ New Species and Subspecies of Australian Birds,” The Austral. Avian Record, vol. 2, no. 4, 1913. - “ A Reference List to the Birds of Australia,” Novitates Zpologicae, vol; 18, no. 3, 1912. - Systema Avian Australasiarum, 1927. Nicholls, B. “ A Trip to Mungeranie, Central Australia,” Emu, vol. 24, no. 1, 1924. Officer, H. R. “ Birds of the R.A.O.U., 1957 Camp-Out Portland District, Vic.,” Emu, vol. 58, no. 5, 1958. Salvadori, T. Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, vol. xx, 1891. Tavistock, Marquess of, and Delacour, J. “ Australian Parrakeets,” Avicult. Mag., 4th Series, vol. 5, no. 3, 1927. White, S. A. “ Birds of Lake Victoria and the Murray River for 100 Miles Downstream,” Emu, vol. 18, no. 1, 1918. - “ Bird-Life in the Riverina ”, Emu, vol. 1 1, no. 3, 1912. - “ Field Ornithology in South Australia,” Emu, vol. 13, no. 1, 1913. White, H. L. “ The Naretha Parrot, Sp. nov.,” Emu, vol. 21, no. 2, 1921. {To be continued) 80 CHARLES EVERITT — BREEDING THE KURRICHANE THRUSH BREEDING THE KURRICHANE THRUSH By Charles Everitt (Trenton, N.J., U.S.A.) The Kurrichane Thrush — Turdus libonyanus — is resident over an extensive area in Africa, ranging westward from Natal and the Transvaal northward to the Sudan and westwards to Senegal. There are several recognized races through this region the variations being mainly in colouring and size, those of the east being generally richer in colour and larger than the western races. The nominate race — Turdus l. libonyanus — comes from Kurrichane, West Transvaal, but it is with the eastern race — Turdus l. tropicalis — that we are concerned with here. Mr. Edward Marshall Boehm received four of these birds from Mozambique in December, i960, and they were housed in reception quarters until late February, 1961, and then released into a planted aviary of some 40 feet by 16 feet. They are slightly smaller than the nominate race, being about 8 inches in total length and the sexes are alike. The top of the head, through the back, wings, and tail is brownish-grey, the throat and belly being white. The chest is buffish- grey with black streaks on the side of the throat and neck. The flanks and under-wing feathers are a deep yellowish buff, the legs and feet being flesh to pale yellow in colour. The bill is bright orange and the eye is brown with a fine yellow line encircling it. There is a narrow pale-buff superciliary eye-stripe running from the base of the upper mandible, over the eye, to the back of the head. As is customary with all the birds in the Boehm collection, they had been banded with different colours prior to being transferred to the aviary in which they lived amicably with a diverse assortment of other birds. This included pairs of Ross’s Touracos, Black-headed Orioles, Silver-blue Tanagers, Black-headed Sugarbirds, Black- throated Cotingas, and Red and White Crakes and some half-a-dozen or so single birds of other species. Incidentally, the pair of Black-headed Sugarbirds had been bred on the establishment in 1961, each bird from different stock, and they themselves reared young, in the aviary now being dealt with, in 1962 thus giving Mr. Boehm a third generation of this species. However, to return to the Kurrichanes, a further specimen received from the same source in September, 1961, was allotted its coloured leg-band and sent in to join the others of its like. Careful watch was maintained for the first few days to ensure that it was accepted for, so often, when a new member of a species is introduced amongst settled birds, conflict is experienced. In this instance all went well and the five birds got along together although it was noticed that, unlike the majority of thrushes of other species spread throughout the numerous Boehm aviaries, these birds never became very tame, CHARLES EVERITT - BREEDING THE KURRICHANE THRUSH 8 1 spending the major part of their days hiding in the hemlock trees and ilex bushes. This skulking habit of theirs gave value to the system of colour banding for, without this means of identification, it would have been virtually impossible to maintain a check on them, for seldom were all five to be seen at one and the same time. In view of their apparent liking for the trees, nest-baskets were secured in various positions in the hope that they would be made use of. If this hope had been pinned solely on the thrushes it would have been doomed to disappointment, for they completely ignored them. One of the nests, however, was made use of by the Red and White Crakes, but that is a separate story that has been recounted in the November-December, 1962, issue of the Avicultural Magazine. It was in March, 1962, that the latest arrival of the Kurrichanes was seen to be carrying nesting material up to a 2 -inch ledge above the entrance door to the aviary. This obviously was totally inadequate, so an open-fronted box of 8 inches by 6 inches, with a 2 -inch front and 6-inch sides, was fixed at the chosen site. The top was made with a 2 -inch overhang so as to give full protection from the moisture drippings from the Visqueen covered roof and to act as a deterrent to other birds. The box was accepted immediately, the final nest being of typical thrush construction with its mud and coarse grass base and surround, the whole being lined with fine grasses, pieces of wool, and feathers. A clutch of three eggs was produced over nth- 13th April, but these proved to be clear and were deserted. They were pale bluish-green in ground colour, finely speckled and spotted all over with pinky-brown, and measured 26 mm by 18-5 mm. A further clutch was laid in May and this time two did hatch but the chicks lived for two days only. A final effort in June was made, but the eggs were deserted after about ten days of sitting. In the meantime, however, another pair had selected a site about half-way along the side of the aviary, again on a 2 -inch ledge. Another nest-box was placed there and, as with the former pair, the birds took to it right away and produced a clutch of three clear eggs in May. On 3rd June, another egg was laid followed by two more on the next succeeding days. Incubation, which was shared, began with the laying of the first egg and lasted fourteen days, the first chick hatching on the 17th and the last on the 19th. The nestlings were covered with gingery coloured down and had bright orange gapes. Their eyes were open at six days by which time quill feathers were showing in their wings. This trio never looked back, the parents being most assiduous in their care of them and the first one vacated the nest on 1st July, being followed by its nest mates on the 3rd and 5th respectively. Their upper plumage was greyish-brown, like the adults’, but the breast was buff, heavily spotted in dark brown, the abdomen was white and the bill dark coloured. There was very little sign of the rich 82 THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF GAGE-BIRDS, 1962 buff-yellow in the flanks, these being flecked with brown. At fourteen 1 days after leaving the nest they were feeding themselves and their bills were now yellow. It was not until they were some thirteen weeks old that the spottings and fleckings had disappeared from the breast and flanks , and they now resembled their parents in colouring, but were i slightly smaller. Needless to say they had been banded as soon as they left the nest and this artificial means of identification is now the only means by which they can be told apart from the adult birds. Their food throughout the rearing period had consisted of our own brand of soft-food mixture, ground raw beef heart and a surfeit of live-food in the form of mealworms, earthworms, and gentles. Since the advent of the young birds the others have become much tamer and it is a common sight to see the entire eight of them foraging about in the Ground Ivy and around the roots of the various trees and shrubs. They are all living together in perfect accord and no action is intended to split them up. We do at least know now the sexes of four of them and hope that, in time, we will be able to accurately record the sex of the remaining adult and the young birds. Although the Kurrichane Thrush is a fairly common bird within its native habitat, I have not been able to find any record of their breeding in captivity prior to that described above. If such does prove to be the case it would seem that yet another “ first ” has been accomplished by Mr. Boehm. * * * THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF CAGE-BIRDS, 1962 This was a most remarkable exhibition. Increased entry fees might have caused a serious drop in numbers, but in fact the drop was quite small and only really high quality exhibits were on show. Appalling weather might have meant a fiasco, but there were amazingly few absentees and the birds seemed quite undaunted by the fog and cold. In the Foreign Section the exhibits were all in fine condition and there were some first-class specimens on view. In spite of having had a most worrying time with electricity failures in her aviaries, Mrs. Scamell staged a splendid team in immaculate condition, ranging from the Fire-Finches which won the first class and the special for the first three classes to her magnificent Toco Toucan which looked as perfect as ever. There were few rarities in the seed-eater classes but the standard was consistently high — -class specials to Mrs. White’s White Java Sparrows, K. Lawrence’s Queen Whydahs and C. W. Stevens’ Melba Finches were all well deserved. Best Large Seed-eater special went to Mrs. Draper’s fine Yellow-bellied Grosbeak and that for Best Small THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF GAGE-BIRDS, 1 962 83 Seed-eaters to W. Langberg’s really lovely Grenadier Waxbills. The class for Gouldian and Parrot finches was outstanding, containing several pairs of Parrot Finches, Red-headed, Blue-faced and Peale’s, all in sparkling condition ; good Red-headed and Yellow-headed Gouldians and some nice Pintailed Nonpareils. The small A.O.S. class was good ; besides W. Langberg’s winning Grenadier Waxbills this consisted of several pairs of Rhodospingus ; Schlegel’s and Peter’s Twinspots, Red-crested Finches, a Hooded Siskin, Pytilias and Blue- capped Cordon Bleus. The insectivorous classes showed few absentees and contained many lovely specimens. It was a pity that Mrs. Dineen’s Rifle Bird was alone in its class as this was a most interesting exhibit. Mrs. Dineen first showed it five years ago when immature and this is the first time it has come into colour although not yet quite in full plumage. I hope that by next year it will have rewarded its owner’s patience and care by achieving perfection. There were three charming hummingbirds staged, first the delightful Gould’s Heavenly Sylph which won the Supreme Award and several other trophies for J. Forest — this was in splendid condition but the lighting where it was staged did not do full justice to its sheen and colouring. Next came Mrs. Scamell’s Violet¬ eared in perfect order, and a lovely little Heine’s belonging to R. E. Oxley. A glorious sunbird class was led by Mrs. Scamell’s Splendid, a very handsome bird, followed by Mrs. Draper’s immaculate Golden¬ winged, Mrs. Scamell’s well-known pair of Yellow-backed (one of the most charming of all sunbirds to my mind), two Wedgetails, Amethysts and a Bronze. The sugarbirds were really good, first was E. T. Hawes’ Red- thighed, then Clare and Howard’s pair of Purples, G. Anderdon’s Red-thighed, several Isthmian, Purple and Yellow-bellied. The small tanager class had unfortunately several absentees, those present were Mrs. Kent’s Black- throated which won the class, R. F. Dudman’s Mrs. Wilson’s, E. M. Beale’s Blue-naped Euphonia and Mrs. Scamell’s Flame-headed ; this last attracted me very much although it has a slightly soft-feathered appearance which I am told is natural to it. Several of the large tanager and bulbul class were also missing, but Mrs. Scamell’s Coral-billed Bulbuls would have been hard to beat in a much larger class. These were followed by G. Anderdon’s Blue Mountain Tanager in perfect condition, a Black Bulbul, Palm and Silver-blue Tanagers, and A. V. Griffiths’ Yellow-crowned Bulbul which should be a most attractive bird when in full condition. The flycatcher class was fascinating ; first were Mrs. Scamell’s beautiful pair of Paradise Flycatchers, in faultless plumage and shown together for the first time ; Mrs. Scamell showed the hen two years ago and the cock won best foreign at Olympia last year. A lovely Blue-fronted Redstart and a Daurian Redstart won second and third places for Mrs. Scamell, followed by an Indian Blue Chat, a pair of 84 THE national exhibition of cage-birds, 1692 Blue-naped Flycatchers and a Loo Choo Robin. The only two entries in the thrush class were Blue-headed Rock Thrushes, the winners being Mrs. Scamell’s breeding pair and the second a fine cock belonging to Mrs. Draper. A good starling class went to B. C. Davies’ quite lovely pair of Amethysts, which won the Best Large Insectivorous special ; there were also some good Spreos, a Red-shouldered Glossy, Purple- headeds and Pagodas. A fine pair of Rothschild’s Grackles won the mynah class for Mrs. Scamell from two good Hill Mynahs and a Common Mynah. The Toucans and Touracos were magnificent, not a very large class but full of quality. Here Glare and Howard’s Curl- crested Toucans were placed first, quite fascinating birds but in rather rough feather. This is the first time I have seen them, and their tight black curls give them a most quaint appearance. Mrs. Scamell’s superb Toco Toucan came second, J. W. Ransom’s handsome Buffon’s Touracos third and his Red-billed Toucan sixth, with Mrs. Draper winning fourth and fifth with a Pink-crested Touraco and a Toco Toucan. I thought this Touraco quite charming and it must be a lovely sight in an aviary. Doves and quail were rather disappointing with several absentees ; G. Anderdon’s Mourning Dove won over pairs of Diamond, Barbary and Snow-white Doves and Chinese Painted Quail. The small A.O.S. insectivorous class as usual held some delightful exhibits. Mrs. Scamell won with a fascinating newcomer described as a Yellow Warbler. Full of life and colour, this bird has the charac¬ teristics of a warbler but in spite of strenuous research has so far not been identified. Next came Mrs. Scamell’s lively little Red-headed Tits and her beautiful pair of Small Minivets, some Yuhinas and a Blue-winged Siva. Medium-sized A.O.S. class went to Mrs. Scamell’s Himalayan Ruby-throats, an interesting exhibit as the pair consisted of father and daughter, the latter bred this year. Next came Digby Stuart College’s good Blue-cheeked Barbet, a Hangnest, a pair of Malayan Starlings and two more Blue-cheeked Barbets. The large A.O.S. class contained Clare and Howard’s Orange Cock-of-the-Rock, an Occipital Blue Pie, Tree Pies and a Red-billed Magpie. It was a pity that in the parrotlike classes some interesting exhibits were missing, but according to the judge, W. R. Partridge, the quality was extremely good. In the Peach-faced, Fischer’s and Masked Lovebird class, Mrs. Duggan’s excellent pair of Masked came first and went on to win Best Lovebirds. In the A.O.S. lovebirds and parrotlet class a fine cock Abyssinian won for D. R. House ; there were no parrotlets entered. K. Lawrence’s Mitchell’s Lorikeets won their class from Mrs. Duggan’s Swainson’s. The cockatoo and macaw class was won by G. Anderdon’s Roseate Cockatoos, followed by his Citron-crest and A. W. Bolton’s Noble Macaws ; the Roseates went on to win the Duke of Bedford Memorial Trophy for Best Parrotlike. The next class consisted of A. W. Bolton’s Rock Peplars and L. G. Stevenson’s THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF GAGE-BIRDS, 1 962 85 Crimson-winged, both pairs in shining condition but the Rock Peplars slightly the more perfect. There was only one exhibit staged in the grass parrakeet class, H. Willis’ Bourke’s, and only three in the broad¬ tail class, H. Willis’s Pennant’s and Redrumps first and third, G. Anderdon’s cock Pennant’s second. A. W. Bolton’s fine pair of Cocka- tiels won their class, and E. A. Dracup’s Canary- winged Conures won that for Ringnecks and Conures from A. W. Bolton’s Golden-flanked, a pair of Sierra Parrakeets, a Patagonian Conure and some Ringnecks. The parrot class went to Mrs. Draper’s fine pair of Ruppell’s (I cannot remember seeing these birds ever beaten), with her Little Dusky Parrot second and J. P. George’s Green Amazon third. There were also several Black-headed Caiques, a White-bellied Caique, a Primrose¬ cheeked Amazon, an African Grey and several Senegals. The class for hybrids and abnormal coloured birds was interesting. This was won, for the sixth year in succession I believe, by Mrs. Lewis’ Swainson’s X Red-collared Lorikeet. Second was an attractive Alario X Canary shown by J. F. Busby, third R. G. Mountney’s Avadavat X Firefinch and there were also a Hodgson’s Rosefinch X Red Factor Canary, a Malabar X Mandarin Starling, a Splendid X Turquoisine parrakeet, Peachfaced X Masked Lovebirds, Red Avadavat X Goldbreast and an Fi hybrid. I cannot end without a word of appreciation to the L.C.C. Parks Department and Raymond Sawyer for the high-light of the Exhibition. Last year I called their display an inspiration ; this year it was doubly so. Both sides of the gallery aisle were laid out in charming water gardens and shrubberies, one pool complete with the now famous Flamingos and the other with a pair of Crowned Cranes ; these were flanked by aviaries full of colour and a most effective tree in which two gorgeous macaws played happily at liberty. There was also a cageful of monkeys to delight the crowd, and two large pens — one full of rabbits and guinea-pigs with the most ridiculous hairstyles and the other holding the Parks’ two Shetland foals, Minicab and Miniminor by name. I cannot help wondering if Raymond himself is going to break these to saddle ! Another last word — we are apt to take for granted the magnificent organization behind the Exhibition, but this year I must offer my humble appreciation and thanks to the officials and staff for the cheerful way they carried on in spite of frightful journeys and very little sleep. And lastly, what a disappointment it was not to see Allen Silver. I believe this to be the first National Show he has missed and we certainly missed him ! I am surprised that such a young and vigorous man could be kept away and we all look forward to seeing him next year. S. M. Anderdon. 86 KENNETH SMITH - BIRDS IN THE JERSEY ZOOLOGICAL PARK BIRDS IN THE JERSEY ZOOLOGICAL PARK By Kenneth Smith Gerald DurrelPs Zoo Park in Jersey has a very interesting collection of birds, and during the four years of its existence quite a number of unusual species have been exhibited there. Numerous specimens have come as gifts, others have been purchased from collectors and dealers, but many of the best exhibits are the results of DurrelPs own zoological collecting expeditions to the tropics. Indeed, one of the main purposes of establishing his own zoo was his resolve to fulfil his ambition to keep for himself, rather than send to other zoos, the wealth of animal life he collected over the years. When I left Paignton Zoo towards the end of 1948 to build the Jersey Zoo, Durrell and his wife were leaving Britain for a collecting trip in Argentina, but already on deposit at Paignton were many of the animals that they had collected during their last trip to the Gameroons. These formed the nucleus of the Jersey Zoo and were shipped aboard the S.S. Sambur at Weymouth on the last day of November. The “ zoo ship ” arrived in St. Helier harbour the next morning, causing much excitement to the islanders — particularly to the children and young people, many of whom had never visited a zoo ! Among the Cameroon birds were Sunbirds, Mousebirds, a very tame Pied Crow, a Woodford’s Owl, a trio of White-faced Scops Owls, an African Hobby ( Falco cuvieri), an African Hawk-Eagle (. Hieraaetus fasciatus) and a pair of Verreaux’s Touracos ( Turacus verreauxi) . The birds were in good condition and steady, as they had been at Paignton Zoo for nearly two years, but at Jersey I had to put them into temporary accommodation while the construction of a bird room and aviaries proceeded. In passing I must mention that the birds had some remarkable amphibians as travelling companions to Jersey. These were Hairy Frogs ( Trie hob atrachus robustus ) that Durrell had captured in the fast flowing streams in the Bafut highlands. In June, 1959, three months after the zoo was opened to the public, Durrell returned from South America. His collection was rich in birds. There were Coscoroba Swans, Black-necked Swans, Crested Screamers, a Chimango Hawk ( Milvago chimango) , and two Seriemas— one Crested ( Cariama cristata ), the other an example of the rarer Burmeister’s species, ( Chunga burmeisteri.) Choice items were a pair of Yellow-naped Macaws (Ara auricollis) and some Sierra Parrakeets ( Amoropsittaca aymara) , also a wonderful pair of Great Grebes ( Aechmophorus major) which, unfortunately, did not live long in Jersey. Also noteworthy was a tame Tucuman Amazon Parrott ( Amazona tucumana ) named Blanco. In his book “ The Whispering Land ” Durrell describes this handsome species as being “ unusual in European collections ”. KENNETH SMITH — -BIRDS IN THE JERSEY ZOOLOGICAL PARK 87 Other Argentine birds included an Ovenbird, two Red-breasted Marsh-birds, a Pigmy Owl and a Burrowing Owl, some Pileated Jays, two Red-gartered Coots and four White-breasted Rails, and a pair of Grey-necked or Hoary necked Guans ( Ortalis canicollis). The Guans were ridiculously tame, and they still welcome human company by flying to the front of the aviary to greet zoo visitors with a high-pitched and somewhat raucous cackling. Jersey Zoo has a good range of aviaries for birds of prey. Eagles shown are Wedge-tailed, Wahlberg’s, Tawny, Bateleur, a Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle and an immature Martial Eagle. The Martial Eagle was brought from Africa by Jeremy Mallinson, a member of the zoo staff, who spent four months in Bechuanaland during 1962. He also collected, mainly in N’gamiland, two young Ostriches, three Marabou Storks, a pair of Spur- winged Geese, a group of Red-billed Francolins, a Yellow-billed Kite and three species of Vulture, namely White-headed, White-backed, and a single specimen of the very large Lappet-faced or Black Vulture ( Tor go s tracheliotus) . Owls are represented by the Malayan Fish-Owl, Virginian Eagle-Owl, Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, and a young Spectacled Owl which recently arrived from British Guiana, in addition to the owls mentioned as being part of Gerald Burrell’s collections. Although the zoo is only about five acres in extent it has a number of sizeable grass paddocks and a lake of a considerable area. The Ostriches occupy a large open enclosure, with a big indoor area adjacent for dull and cold weather. Sarus, Crowned and Demoiselle Cranes, Red-breasted Geese, Barnacle Geese and Upland Geese are displayed in naturalistic surroundings, while Blue Eared Pheasants and a Grey¬ winged Trumpeter enjoy complete liberty in the zoo grounds. The tropical bird house and numerous large aviaries are populated by a wide variety of species, too many to list in full. Among the more interesting are Boatbill Herons, a Hammerkop, a fine pair of Crested Wood Partridges, two Toucan Barbets, a Rice Grackle, a Chough and a Raven, and a breeding colony of Fischer’s Lovebirds. Valuable new additions, resulting from Gerald Durrell’s recent journeys through New Zealand, Australia and Malaya, are a pair of Keas (obtained through the good offices of the Auckland Zoo) and five Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots. About 250 different species of wild birds have been recorded in the Channel Islands, and quite a number of orphaned and injured birds have been brought to the zoo for attention. These have included several Barn Owls (the commonest owl in the Islands), a single Tawny Owl (extremely rare here !), four Water Rails, a Snipe, two Corn¬ crakes, a Golden Plover, a Grey Phalarope, four Kingfishers, several Kestrels and two Sparrow Hawks. The Sparrow Hawks were released in the open country around the zoo. 88 A. W. E. FLETCHER - NEWS FROM CHESTER ZOO ■I NEWS FROM CHESTER ZOO By A. W. E. Fletcher As these notes are written, on 14th February, arctic weather is still with us and conditions are far from pleasant. Luckily there has not been a great deal of wind, which is so much more deadly than intense still cold. Compared with other parts of the country, snow has not been a major problem, though a certain amount of propping of flights, as a precautionary measure, has been done. Arrivals during the past two months have been few. We were pleased to receive a pair of Lesser Snow Geese, presented by Mr. Frank Mosford ; the male being the blue form and the goose the white. Another gift we were glad to get was a Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, as we had no specimen of this attractive little Psittacine in the collection. Two common Buzzards, found half-starved in North Wales, have made a welcome addition to our large Bird of Prey flight. Inappropriate though it may be to mention births in the present weather conditions, it is interesting to record that on 4th January, another Scaly-breasted Lorrikeet left the nest-box in the open flight. When the nest-boxes were being taken down in late September, it was found that this particular one had two eggs in it, which from their appearance were close to hatching. They were the third clutch of the pair concerned, and without much hope it was decided to leave the nest-box where it was. Both hatched, and as recorded above, one survivor appeared early in the year. It was immediately placed in the indoor shelter with its parents and is doing well. The three new enclosures mentioned in an earlier article are now com¬ pleted, and a few birds are already installed, including a pair of Black Swans, a pair of Sarus Cranes, and a group of seven Grey-necked Crowned Cranes and three Black-necked Crowned Cranes, together with a number of cock Pheasants. The Cranes are for the moment confined to barracks in the very comfortable shelters provided and should make a very fine show when, weather permitting, they are given the freedom of these very large enclosures. * * * LONDON ZOO NOTES By J. J. Yealland A Crowned Hawk Eagle ( Stephanoaetus coronatus) which was received in 1933 has died. Its age at the time of arrival is not known, nor is the age of a recently deceased Donaldson Smith’s Turaco which came in 1945 and was in Mr. Spedan Lewis’s collection at Leckford before that. J. J. YEALLAND - LONDON ZOO NOTES 89 Three species new to the collection have been received. They are a Bourcier’s Barbet ( Eubucco bourcieri), a Tinkling Grass Warbler ( Cisticola tinniens), both presented by Capt. R. S. de Q,. Quincey and a White-chinned Thrush ( Turdus aurantius) given by G. H. and J. R. Newmark. The specimen of Bourcier’s Barbet, a male, was of the normal green on back and wings, with a red head and pale yellow and white under parts at the time of its importation. Now its plumage is much faded, possibly due to a carotenoid pigment deficiency in its diet. There may be some Old World Barbets whose colours change for this reason, but I cannot think of any. Eubucco bourcieri ranges from Costa Rica to Peru, seven races being recognized. The genus Cisticola has not previously been represented in the collection. There are some forty species in this genus (as many as seventy-five according to some recently published estimates) only two of them being found outside Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. One of these, the Fan-tailed Warbler, ranges from southern Europe, throughout Africa to eastern Asia and northern Australia. Males of many species have conspicuous courtship displays, one species being known as the Cloud-scraper or Wing-snapping Cisticola, for the male flies to a considerable height and makes a snapping noise in the course of his evolutions. The nests, sometimes open, sometimes domed, according to the species, are built in grass or other low-growing vegetation and in some cases, if not all, the lining of plant down is added to, even during the incubation and sometimes after the eggs have hatched. Some species are brood parasitized by whydahs and the Parasitic Weaver ( Anomalospiza ) . The habitat is grassland, scrub, bush or savannah woodland as well as swamp and rocky country and the birds are insectivorous. In some there is an eclipse and a breeding season plumage. The White-chinned Thrush, a native of Jamaica, is said to be frequently seen by roadsides and in gardens, particularly at higher altitudes. Other arrivals of particular interest are three Red-wattled Lapwings (. Lobivanellus indicus), four Green- winged Doves, six White-eared Fruit Doves, a Brown Hawk Owl ( JVinox scutulata) and a Blue-fronted Redstart. A Woodcock picked up during the severe weather at East Preston in Sussex was sent and is so far thriving. 90 BRITISH AVICULTURISTS ’ CLUB COUNCIL MEETING A Council Meeting was held on nth March, 1963, at the Windsor Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London, W. 2. Sir Crawford McCullagh, Bt., was elected a Vice-President, and Mr. L. W. Hill was elected to fill the vacancy caused on the Council. The Society’s Medal The Society’s Medal has been awarded to :■ — Mrs. K. M. Scamell, for breeding the Ruby throat, Calliope calliope , in 1962. Mrs. K. M. Scamell, for breeding the Himalayan Rubythroat, Calliope pectoralis, in 1962. Mrs. K. M. Scamell, for breeding the Pied Bush Chat, Saxicola caprata, in 1962. W. D. Cummings, for breeding the Blue-shouldered Mountain Tanager, Compsocoma somptuosa , in 1962. C. M. Payne, for breeding the Knysna Touraco, Turacus corythaix , in 1962. J. S. Rigge, for breeding the Crimson Macaw, Ara chloroptera, in 1962. C. Smith, for breeding Mitchell’s Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematod mitchellii , in 1962. Arthur A. Prestwich, Hon. Secretary. * * * BRITISH AVICULTURISTS’ CLUB The eightieth meeting of the Club was held at the Windsor Hotel, Lancaster Gate, London, W. 2, on Monday, nth March, 1963, following a dinner at 7 p.m. Chairman : Mr. K. Norris. Members of the Club : Miss P. Barclay-Smith, R. D. Chancellor, W. D. Cummings, C. W. Desmond, B. Dittrich, Miss R. M. Ezra, Mrs. R. Goodman, Dr. R. Gottlieb, H. J. Harman, L. W. Hill, Dr. E. Hindle, F. E. B. Johnson, F. T. Jones, Miss E. M. Knobel, J. Kuttner, F. Mosford, G. S. Mottershead, Sir Crawford McCullagh, Bt., W. R. Partridge, C. M. Payne, A. A. Prestwich, D. M. Reid-Henry, NEWS AND VIEWS 91 D. H. S. Risdon, R. C. J. Sawyer, H. A. Snazle, E. O. Squire, N. R. Steel, A. J. Swain, J. O. Wahlgren, P. L. Wayre, J. J. Yealland. Members of the Club, thirty-two ; guests, eight ; total, forty. There was a conversazione. Arthur A. Prestwich, Hon . Secretary. * * * NEWS AND VIEWS Poole Town Council, Dorset, has agreed in principle to assist Kenneth Smith to set up a zoo in Poole Park. * * * An event unique in the annals of aviculture was the breeding last year of the Red-headed Parrot-Finch to the thirtieth generation by N. Nicholson. * * * In 1959 Denby Collins was awarded the Society’s Medal, for the first breeding of the Rameron Pigeon. Last year he was successful in breeding two more young ones. * * * C. af Enehjelm reports that at the Copenhagen Zoo last year the following owls were bred : five Snowy, one Virginian Eagle-Owl (. Bubo virginianus) , and three Bubo b. turcomanus (?). His own sole success was one Spotted Eagle-Owl reared. * * * R. T. Kyme was quite satisfied with his parrakeet breeding results, 1962 : one Pennant’s, eight Mealy and five Golden-mantled Rosellas, eight Stanleys and six Cockatiels. Unfortunately he lost the male of his pair of Green Conures that had three eggs the previous year. * * * Professor Carl Naether is particularly anxious to import some Mountain Witch Doves Geotrygon versicolor. The present stock in California has been infertile for a number of years. If any reader in Jamaica is able to assist Professor Naether he would be very grateful. 92 NEWS AND VIEWS Thirty-two species and varieties of birds were successfully bred in the Adelaide Zoological Gardens during the 1961-62 season. Possibly the most important event from the display point of view was the rearing of four Mute Swans : two were reared in 1959-60, and one in 1960-61. The Mute Swan is a rare bird in captivity in Australia, although it does occur in small numbers in a more or less wild state in Western Australia and Tasmania where it has been introduced. * * * The Chester Zoological Gardens were still but recently founded when, in April, 1940, there occurred a remarkable event. This was the nesting of the pair of Griffon Vultures. Vice-President G. S. Mottershead described the rearing of the young one in the Magazine, 1941. It is very pleasing to be able to record that this bird, which has the distinction of being the only one of its kind to be bred in Great Britain, and nearing twenty-three years of age, is flourishing and is in splendid condition. * * * Noel Burnett, of South Grafton, N.S.W., had been breeding Swainson’s X Scaly-breasted Lorikeet hybrids for many years. According to Roy P. Cooper, Emu , 1962, p. 212, the original male is now fourteen and a half years old, and the female died at the age of nine years and eight months ; at the time of her death she was brooding three eggs. Of the young retained by Burnett, one is seven and several are six years old. In their first nest a hybrid pair hatched a young one that lived for twenty-seven days, but the eggs in all subsequent nests have proved infertile. A. A. P. REVIEWS 93 REVIEWS THE BIRDS OF SIKKIM. By Salim Ali. Oxford University Press, 1963. Price 52 6^. net. As might be expected from India’s leading ornithologist, Salim Ali, this is a first-class book on the birds of Sikkim — to quote the author’s own description — a vertical strip of extremely rugged montane country 40 to 60 miles broad and about 100 miles deep, wedged in between the Himalayan States of Nepal in the west and Bhutan on the east. In the introduction the author gives a graphic and concise description of the area. He states that the abrupt telescoping of the terrain — from the hot steamy foot-hill valleys to the arctic cold of the snow-capped peaks — which has produced the marked altitudinal zonation in the rainfall, humidity, climate, and vegetation is also responsible for the great variety and numerical abundance of the resident bird life, making Sikkim perhaps the richest area of its size anywhere in the world. Over 400 species of birds are described in detail, including field characters, status and habitat, distribution outside Sikkim, general habits, nesting, and racial characteristics, measurements, etc. The book is illustrated with seventeen coloured plates, depicting 140 species, by Paul Barruel, David Reid-Henry, and Robert Scholz in the traditional high standard of these bird artists, and beautifully repro¬ duced. In addition there are thirty-six black and white drawings by Paul Barruel and Walter Ahrens, and a number of photographic illustrations which give an excellent idea of the various habitats. It is regrettable that the index falls far below the standard of the rest of the book. P. B-S. * * * THE BIRDS OF CHESHIRE. By T. Hedley Bell. John Sharratt and Son, Altrincham, 1962. Price 30 j. net. Though, as the author points out, the ornithology of Cheshire has been well documented, especially by the late T. A. Coward and Charles Oldham, their last work was published in 1910. The purpose of the present work is to publish all records and information since 1910 and the author gives full credit to those from whom he obtained data, in particular the late A. W. Boyd. He includes a history of recording, coverage by recorders, and a topography in which he gives an account of the changes since the publication of Coward’s book. This is followed by summaries of related species and a systematic list of 289 species and sub-species found in the county, in which an attempt is made to give an assessment of the status I 7 94 CORRESPONDEN CE of every species. There are a number of good photographs of various areas in the county showing the widely differing habitats but the illustrations of birds are confined to six species. Three of these are recent additions to the breeding birds of Cheshire, the Collared Dove, Pied Flycatcher, and Little Ringed Plover. There are also three illustrations of Wilson’s Phalarope, believed to be the first photographs taken in Britain of this rare American species. A clear and helpful map completes the book. P. B-S. H* CORRESPONDENCE THE CONDITION OF AVIARY BIRDS DURING THE EXCEPTIONALLY SEVERE WEATHER IN JANUARY, 1963 It may be interesting to put on record experiences during the recent cold spell. On 22nd, 23rd and 24th January, the minimum temperatures here were — 30 F., i° F., and — 1° F. respectively, and were still as low as this at 8 a.m. the following iar\r npQtinrr nrA\ rt=>r\ mnfp manorniotp to cnnp untn onr>h eonnitmno mornings. My aviary heating proved quite inadequate to cope with such conditions. The small bird quarters have wooden shelters 4 feet square by 6 feet high. Each has a half-kilowatt heater. The inside temperature fell to 27°F.; Hunting Cissa, White-crested Laughing Thrushes, three species of Glossy Starling and various whydahs, waxbills and foreign finches were, as far as I could tell, not in the least inconvenienced. Four Crowned Cranes were in a shelter 8 by 8 by 8 feet made of concrete blocks and with one kilowatt heating. Here the temperature fell to 20° F. but there was no sign of frost-bite on legs or feet. Flamingoes were in a wooden shed without heat but with straw over peat on the floor. Here the minimum temperature was 50 F. and so far they seem none the worse. Lilford and Demoiselle Cranes were in the open and did not even make use of a roofed shelter of wattle hurdles. They have survived 350 of frost — — 3°F, without any apparent discomfort. Maybe they would not have fared so well if there had been any wind. Conditions were calm throughout. I have had no losses amongst waterfowl. It seems curious, however, that they eat much less in really cold weather than normally. Lady Amherst’s, Silver and Golden pheasants and a Blue Crossoptilon were quite happy in the open with only rather sparse shrubs for cover. G. Ronald Pryor. Brookside, Calver, Nr. Sheffield. How our birds have survived this winter I do not know, but they all appear to be as cheerful and fit as usual. We had 20 degrees of frost and deep snow on the aviaries so that for weeks the birds never really saw daylight ; their food froze as well as their drinks, nectar as well as water. None of the outdoor aviaries have any heat and the parrakeet aviaries have very little shelter, but the birds seemed absolutely immune to cold. We have mynahs, a toucanette, a mountain tanager, a redstart, doves and seedeaters outside. Indoors we could not get the birdroom above 40 degrees when the power cuts were on, and the birds were as happy as can be. I also had flocks of wild birds to feed ; they all lined up in trees waiting for me. Masses of Chaffinches CORRESPONDENCE 95 and Greenfinches, Tits, Hedgesparrows, Starlings, Blackbirds, Robins, a pair of Greater-spotted Woodpeckers, Rooks, Jays (one I believe to be one I brought up by hand), a Nuthatch, and a Marsh Tit. I had to feed them three times a day in the really cold weather and still feed them once or twice a day. Sybilla Anderdon. Henlade House, Taunton. * * * CORRIGENDUM In “News and Views” in the January-February, 1963, number of the Magazine it was reported that a pair of Hume’s Bar- tailed Pheasants had been received by the Berlin Zoo (West). The birds were in fact received by the Berlin Zoo (East) and the Editor much regrets this mistake. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT CO O O COCO O O OCOCOCO O iO O LOO OCOCO Cl o ocooo o a • ■'% cS.ts *N M 5-Ct3 cS S Orq W) VJ ^ bo (U <3 & co 3 T3 .3 sh CQQ * .2 ‘o o C/5 TO a s> 3 f HqcS g <$> o °» l-q SPECIAL BIRD FOODS FAMOUS SINCE 1823 Universal Fortifier Perfort Insectivorous Fort-Egg and 'ictorial Packet) 3 oz. I0£d. 3 oz. I0£d. (Red Packet) Colorfort £ lb. I/I0£ £ lb. V- £ lb. 2/- £ lb. 3/- £ lb. 2/3 1 lb. 3/6 1 lb. 4/- 1 lb. 4/- 1 lb. 6/- 1 lb. 4/6 3£ lb. 1 1/9 3£ lb. 13/6 3£ lb. 13/6 3£ lb. 21/- 3£ lb. 15/- 7 lb. 22/9 7 lb. 26/6 7 lb. 26/6 7 lb. 38/8 7 lb. 29/9 28 lb. 85/- 28 lb. 98/- 28 lb. 98/- 28 lb. 154/- 28 lb. 112/- HEALTH C.L.O. GRAINS “GREENSTUFF” Rearing and Condition Food (Condition Seed) £ lb. 1 /- 14 lb. 20/ 3 oz. 1/- A dehydrated form of green 1 lb. 2/- 28 lb. 38/6 1 lb. 4/6 food consisting of lettuce, 3£ lb. 5/6 56 lb. 75/- 3£ lb. 15/6 spinach, carrot, etc., readily 7 lb. 10/6 1 cwt. 140/- 7 lb. 30/- taken by all birds. Packets 1/- & 3/6, also sold in bulk. When sending for above Birdfoods please add for part cost of postage : £ lb. pkts. 6d. I lb. pkts. I/-. 3£ lb. and 7 lb. 2/-. 28 lb. and over Carriage Paid. MEALWORMS « MARBA ” DUTCH BRED “ SANTA GERMAN BRED” (small type) (large type) Whether you prefer the small Dutch mealworm or the larger German type, we can give you the finest service obtainable, with shipments arriving twice weekly. Dispatch guaranteed same day as orders received. 1 02. 3/- 2 oz. 4/9 4 oz. 8/- 8 oz. 14/- I lb. 23/6 Also in original Boxes as imported Nett weight guaranteed 2 lb. 45/- 31 lb. 62/6 6£ lb. £6 Os. Od. All Carriage Paid. MAGGOTS We sell only the best liver-fed maggots, specially recleaned and ready for immediate use for bird feeding. Packed in bran. No mess or smell. 2 oz. 4 oz. 8 oz. I lb. 3/4 4/6 7/- 10/6 FEEDING SUNDRIES Dried Flies (Chinese) Silkworm pupae (Whole) „ „ (Ground) Dried Dragonfly larvae .... Dried Shrimp (Fine, Medium, or Coarse) . Ant Eggs . Pure Dried Egg ..... Dried Rowan Berries (Whole) ,, „ „ (Crushed) Pure Breadcrumbs (Fine, Medium, or Coarse), far superior to biscuit meal . 2 lb. 3/- ; 4 lb. 5/6 ; 14 lb. 17/6 “ Egg-crumbs,” guaranteed to consist of 90 per cent breadcrumbs and 10 per cent pure egg . . .2 lb. 5/6 ; 4 lb. 10/6 ; 7 lb. 17/6 ALL ABOVE PRICES ARE POST PAID £ lb. 1 lb. 5/- 9/6 3/9 6/6 4/- 6/9 6/6 12/6 2/3 3/6 13/6 25/- 6/6 12/6 2/9 4/6 3/- 4/9 28 lb. 28/- E. W. COOMBS, LTD. 255 Walderslade Road, Chatham, Kent Phone : Chatham 61068 Grams : Avicult, Chatham, Kent STUDIES ON GREAT CRESTED GREBES By K. E. L. SIMMONS Price 5/6 post free PUBLISHED BY THE AVIGULTURAL SOCIETY galley’s wood EDENBRIDGE, KENT DR. P. M. DRIVER B.Sc., Ph.D., M.I.Biol. is proposing to hold WEEKEND AVIGULTURAL COURSES at “ BIRDLAND ” Accommodation will be provided and anyone interested should write for further details to The Secretary, Dr. P. M. Driver, “ Birdland,” Bourton-on-the-Water. When Visiting the COTSWOLDS AVICULTURISTS ARE WELCOME TO Y> ,v> Set in the charm oj an old English Garden at the lovely Village oj BO UR TON- ON- THE - WA TER BOOKS on BIRDS KILLS MITE & LICE INSTANTLY Just spray birds DIRECT IN CAGE ! Non-poisonous. Economical. 2/7, 4/8, 9/9. From all Seed Dealers. STOPS FEATHER PLUCKING! The NEW Aerosol Spray Modern Effective Formula 2/11, 5/6. From all Seed Dealers. Johnson’s Veterinary Products Ltd., Sutton Coldfield ‘ANTI-PEK’ CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION Dr. J. Le Gay Brereton, Zoology Department, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. Mrs. L. Claffey, i Galtymore Park, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, Eire. Proposed by F. C. Astles. James Crosbie Dawson, Northington Farm, Overton, Nr. Basingstoke, Hants. Proposed by H. Cowley. Victor Franck, Zoologischer Versand Koln, 5 Koln-Mulheim 2, Postfach 8, Frankfurterstr, 75-77, West Germany. Proposed by L. W. Hill. Dennis ,V. Guest, 153 Albert Road, Sheffield 8. Proposed by Captain R. S. de Q, Quincey. Frederick A. A. Hansen, Penguins Head Road, Culburra, Via Nowra, N.S.W., Australia. Proposed by W. B. Frostick. Dr. Kurt Kolar, Rosaliagasse 22, Vienna, XII, Austria. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. Gordon C. Kroon, P.O. Box 201, Graaff Reinet, Cape Province, South Africa. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. James Leggate, Easter Balbeggie, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. J. Murray, 6 Oakfield Avenue, Upton-by-Chester. Proposed by A. W. E. Fletcher. Bryan F. Roberts, 14 Lower Shelton Road, Marston, Bedford. Proposed by J. W. Bushby. Leonherd Rofler, Stadelberstr. 17, Munchen 9, Germany. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. N. Smirly, Post Box 5180, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Proposed by Miss K. Bonner. Chr. Walraven, Stijn Buysstraat 66, Nijmegen, Holland. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. NEW MEMBERS The ten Candidates for Election in the January-February, 1963, number of the Avicultural Magazine were duly elected members of the Society. CHANGE OF STYLE Mrs. Gerald Grosvenor, to The Duchess of Westminster. CHANGES OF ADDRESS W. G. Baird, to 35 Franklin Avenue, Palmerston North, New Zealand. J. Boyko, to Heather View, Off Main Road, Fishpool, Notts. Hartley Brown, to Broadgate, Buckden, Huntingdon. A. U. Chapman, to DeVeaux School, Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.A. Robert J. Gregory, to 6 Coles Street, Clearview, South Australia. Dr. J. R. Hodges, to Craignair, Cuckoo Hill, Pinner, Middx. H. Alan Johnson, to 3815 Higuera Road, San Jose 22, California, U.S.A. John W. Livermore, to The Old Stone House Farm, P.O. Box 172, West Redding, Conn., U.S.A. Henning Madsen, to Gyldendal, Lihme, Denmark. Robert F. Marshall, to The Lodge, Dulwich Park, College Road, London, S.E. 21. C. H. Melvin, to 705 Erbes Road, Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.A. J. H. Noon, to 16 Leamington Close, Hounslow, Middx. G. N. W. Parker, to P.O. Box 100 18, Linton Grange, Port Elizabeth, S. Africa. Russell Regnery, to 488 Westridge Drive, Menlo Park, California, U.S.A. A. Rutgers, to “ De Oelehof ”, Joppelaan 60, Gorssel, Holland. Paul E. Schneider, to 1 1354 Osborne Street, Lake View Terrace, California, U.S.A. DONATIONS (Coloured Plate Fund) •JWjj £ s. d. " H. Bancroft 10 0 • M Dr. P. B6raut 1 0 0 Denby Collins 2 10 0 ‘V-M J. E. Collins 10 0 E. R. FitzSimmons 1 10 0 A. W. Fletcher . 10 0 J. J. Gandy 2 10 0 R. Grantham 10 0 Dr. J. R. Hodges. 10 0 A. H. Isenberg . 1 10 0 J. Kingston 10 0 J. Spedan Lewis 5 0 0 N. Macleod 0 0 Aage Madsen 1 0 0 D. R. Moore 10 0 D. W. Muirhead 5 0 S. Murray 2 0 0 P. G. Paris 10 0 C. J. Pearson 2 5 0 MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS The charge for Members’ advertisements is threepence per wpRD. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 15th of the month to A. A. Prestwich, Galley’s Wood, Nr. Edenbridge, Kent. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column , but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisements they consider unsuitable. For Indian Birds buy direct from Baidyanath Acooli, 8/5a Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta 2, India. Importers and exporters of birds of every description. — Send for lists to Lakeside Foreign Bird Farm, Badgworth, Nr. Axbridge, Somerset. Half-mile off main A. 38. Wanted. Care and Propagation of Ornamental Waterfowl, by L. C. Laidlay. — Mrs. B. E. T. Michell, White Lodge, Ifield, Crawley, Sussex. Wanted. Two male Blue-headed Maiden Doves. — Professor Carl Naether, 16759 Otsego Street, Encino, California, U.S.A. Wanted. Avicultural Magazine. The following numbers are urgently required to complete the full set : 1894, December ; 1895, January, February, May ; 1897, February, December ; 1898, January, February ; 1917, November ; 1918, Novem¬ ber ; 1919, June, July ; 1921, March, May ; 1922, March ; 1923, January, June ; 1924, June, July ; 1925, January to December inclusive ; 1927, January, February, July, September, October. — A. W. E. Fletcher, 136 Chester Road, Helsby, Cheshire. STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, HERTFORD. DWtsioft of AVICULTURAL Breeding of the Grey-headed Silverbill ( Odontospiza caniceps) { with plate), by W. Langberg ........... 97 Parrots, by E. Maud Knobel . 102 The New Bird House in the Berlin Zoo {with plates ), by Dr. Heinz-Georg Klos 103 The Genetics of the Yellow-masked Gouldian Finch, by Ray Murray . .108 Some Behaviour of a Captive Red-billed Oxpecker, by Derek Goodwin . 1 13 Notes on Austral and Southern Pacific Birds. II — South Australia, by Jean Delacour . . . . . . . . . . .117 Breeding of the Yellow-winged Sugar Bird {with plate), by John Garratt . 120 Recording the Voices of Captive Birds, by Jeffery Boswall . . .121 Unusual Behaviour of Young Gouldian Finches, by Dr. S. Shapiro . .127 Obituary— John Spedan Lewis . . . . . . . .128 London Zoo Notes, by J. J. Yealland . . . . . . .130 News and Views ........... 131 Reviews ............ 133 Notes . 134 VOL. 69 No. 3 PRICE 7/6 MAY-JUNE 1963 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Founded 1894 President : D. Seth-Smith, Esq. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer : A. A. Prestwich, Galley’s Wood, Nr. Edenbridge, Kent. Assistant Secretary : Miss Kay Bonner. Membership Subscription is £2 per annum, due on 1st January each year, and payable in advance. Life Membership £25. Subscriptions, Change of Address, Names of Candidates for Membership, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Hon. President : Mr. Jean Delacour. President : Mr. Joseph Niemczak. Secretary ! Mr. Otis Wade, 1806 Redesdale Avenue, Los Angeles 26, Calif. U.S.A. The annual dues of the Society are $4.00 per year, payable in advance. The Society year begins 1st January, but new members may be admitted at any time. Members receive a monthly bulletin. Correspondence regarding membership, etc., should be directed to the Secretary. THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE The Magazine is published bi-monthly, and sent free to all members of the Avicultural Society. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year on the payment of subscription. All matter for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to : — The Editor s Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith, 51 Warwick Avenue, London, W. 9. Telephone : Cunningham 3006. The price of the Magazine to non-members is 7 s. 6d., post free, per copy, or £ 2 55. for the year. Orders for the Magazine, extra copies and back numbers (from 1917) should be sent to the publishers, Stephen Austin & Sons, Ltd., Caxton Hill, Ware Road, Hertford, England. Telephone : Hertford 2352/3/4. A vi cult. Mag. Copyright ] [Steen Langberg Lind Grey-headed Silverbill ( Odontospiza caniceps) [Frontispiece Avicultural Magazine THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY Vol. 69. — No. 3. — All rights reserved. MAY-JUNE, 1963 BREEDING OF THE GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL ( Odontospiza caniceps ) By W. Langberg (Copenhagen, Denmark) The African Weaver Finch Odontospiza caniceps has popularly been called Grey-headed Silverbill, in English as well as in German. Recent scientific investigations made by the well-known Swiss ornithologist Professor Dr. Hans Steiner in Zurich, show that this species is, however, closely related to the Bronze Mannikins ( Spermestes ) and not to the Silverbills ( Euodice ). In the Estrildidae, now usually considered as a family and not, as earlier, a sub-family of the Ploceidse, weavers, the different palate markings of the nestling young have been considered as the main guide in the determination of the relationship between the different genera. There is a pronounced identity between the palate markings of the young of the Spermestes-species and Odontospiza , not occuring in any other species of Estrildidae, and quite different from those of Euodice. As a result of his examinations Professor Steiner considers Odontospiza as a sub-genus of Spermestes. Professor Steiner therefore suggests the name Perlhals-Amadine in German for this species. (Translated into English “ Pearl- throated Mannikin ”.) This decision was arrived at from examination of newly hatched young, partly supplied by me, partly from his own birds, as well as both his and my observations of the birds’ behaviour and my descriptions of the colour of young birds. The length of the bird is about 4 inches, and it is slim and elegant in shape. There is some resemblance in colour to the Parson Finch, except for the small feathers reaching from below the eye over the cheeks and the throat, which are of a pearl-like colour instead of white. The head is dark grey, this colour reaching right down to the back. The chest is of a warm brown colour, toning lighter on the belly. The back is also brown, rump, upper and under tail-coverts being white. Primaries, secondaries, and tail feathers are black. The upper mandible is dark grey, the under mandible somewhat lighter. The legs are dark horn coloured. The eyes black. Two consignments, I believe about 200 birds in all, reached Switzerland in September-October, 1961. They were offered as a first importation, but according to Mr. Yealland of the London Zoo, they 98 W. LANGBERG - BREEDING OF THE GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL were imported in 1929-30 by De Von, and four specimens were in the Regent’s Park Zoo at that period. {Foreign Birds, May-June, 1962.) As far as he knows the species has not bred in England, and he does not know whether the species had even been bred in captivity. The two consignments were imported at the request of Professor Steiner by the Zurich bird dealer Theodor Waech, who, with the assistance of Mr. Surber of the same town, found a collector in Mozambique willing to catch the birds in question. Professor Steiner was anxious to obtain live birds of this species for studies of their behaviour, palate markings of the young (which were not earlier known), and other characteristics of the species, in order to reach a final decision as to their relation to other species and hence their correct place in systematics. No doubt this importation would not have taken place, if the birds had not been important to fill a gap in Professor Steiner’s systematic studies, and we owe him our thanks for the great efforts he made to find a collector in Africa, interested in the matter. I am glad to state that these efforts have not been made in vain and that the systematic position of Odontospiza caniceps now seems to be settled. About 1 st November, 1961, I got a consignment of these birds together with some other birds, Grenadier Waxbills and Blue-headed Cordon-bleus. I observed that the chest colour of some of the birds was darker than that of others. One bird was sick on arrival and died within a few days. The post-mortem examination showed that it was a hen. The chest colour of this bird was rather light, and I now sorted out all my Odontospizas by means of the chest colour. Up to now all the birds with the darker colour have been cocks. The cock has a nice little song, executed with the head stretched upwards, with the open beak moving when singing. At the end of November the birds seemed to be in good condition and I chose a cock, which semed particularly strong and active. This I put in a flight in my bird room. In the flight, approximately 8 by 2J by 2 feet, I had breeding pairs of Peak’s Parrot Finch, Painted Finch, and Gouldian Finch. A week later I put a hen Odontospiza in the flight. The cock was immediately very interested and started to sample coconut fibres on the wooden top of a basket nest. The hen flew to a small shrubbery which I had made for the Peak’s Parrot Finches and sat there calling for the cock. A bit later I observed the cock jumping on a perch in the manner of common Bronze Mannikins. The birds, however, did not make any serious attempts at nest¬ building and at last chose an old nest, by the way, the same one the Peak’s Parrot Finches had used the first time they bred. Later on I have also observed with other pairs of the species that they usually prefer to use an old nest, and only repair it sparingly with some coarse material. On 22nd January, 1962, I observed that the hen showed the W. LANGBERG - BREEDING OF THE GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL 99 characteristic signs of starting to lay, and on 26th January, the first egg was laid in the old Peale’s nest. On the 28th a second egg was laid, but no more followed. No attempts to sit were observed and I therefore removed the eggs. The shell was rather thin and chalk- white, size about 16 by 10 mm. The birds, however, started again immediately, and on 5th February, the first egg was laid, totalling five in all by 9th February. This time the birds sat, but mostly the hen only, the cock occasionally taking over the job for a few minutes. On 25th February, I examined the nest when the hen was out of it and felt that there were young. On the next day there was obviously something wrong. Later in the day I had an occasion to examine the nest and found a dead chick, which had obviously not been fed and therefore starved. This was removed and some days later the remaining eggs also, as the birds did not care about them. Both birds always spent the night in the nest and also a part of the day. On 3rd March there was again an egg. This time I did not disturb the birds and therefore do not know the number of eggs and when the sitting started. I observed, however, that this time both birds took turns in sitting, as is usual with the Weaver Finches. On 24th March I had the impression that there were young ones in the nest, and when putting in a finger I felt there were living young. As to feeding : canary seed, different millets (white, Indian, Algerian, Japan, and spray millet) Niger and grass seeds were given all the time. Every day fresh sprouted seed (white and yellow millet), hard-boiled egg mixed with a German proprietary food (Claus’ Aufzuchtfutter) and milksop with vitamins added. Mealworms were eagerly taken, and gradually as the youngsters grew, the consump¬ tion became bigger. I had the impression that the young were mainly reared on mealworms. The pair spent much time inside the nest, but as soon as I came with mealworms they immediately flew out, hung on the netting and were very interested. As soon as the mealworms were given the birds went straight to the nest. When both the birds were outside I sometimes put a finger in the nest in order to see if the young were still alive. On 1st April I heard for the first time the young begging when the parents fed them. The sound was very weak and at first I thought it was the song of the Gouldian cock, but when I put my ear nearer the nest I could clearly hear that the sound came from it. When the Odontospiza pair Nr. 1 was sitting on the eggs I had, a bit improvidently, put a pair of Grenadier Waxbills in the same flight, as I had the impression that the waxbills were inclined to nest, and this flight seemed to suit them. Unfortunately they selected the shrubbery where the Odontospizas nested and started to build. They did not allow the Odontospizas to come near the nest, and in order to save the young from starvation I had, much to my vexation, to remove the Grenadier Waxbills again. 100 W. LANGBERG - BREEDING OF THE GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL Every Friday is cleaning day in the birdroom. Even though I did not dare to clean the Odontospizas 5 flight, I removed some droppings and sprinkled some new sand on the bottom. I was shocked when I saw the cock Odontospiza take a lot of sand and fly right to the nest of young with lots of sand around his beak. I imagined him filling the young with sand and thought all sorts of disasters would follow. Next day I had an opportunity to inspect the nest and put in a trembling finger expecting to find all the young cold and lifeless. I was happy when I felt the warm young moving and lively. At last the time came when I expected the young to leave the nest. 14th April was the birthday of our daughter and some days earlier I had promised her that the young would leave the nest on her birthday. I had the great luck that on that very day at 9.45 in the morning the first two young came out, and at 1 1.15 a.m. the third one was on the perch. The parent birds were somewhat nervous and obviously worried about the young, which flew around rather helplessly. One of the young ones was not able to fly up to the perch, when on the floor. I made a kind of ladder from the floor to the perch, and this helped somewhat. Later I observed, however, that this particular youngster had a defective wing and a crooked leg and still had some difficulty in reaching the perch. When I saw the young outside for the first time it struck me that they had a great likeness to the small Bib Finch [Lemur esthes nana ) from Madagascar, a species related to the Bronze Mannikins. The colour of the young Odontospizas is paler and more washed-out than that of the adult birds. Head and neck are grey but without the small white feathers which make the colour of the adult birds so decorative. On the day the young left the nest Mr. A. Ryder Tonnesen — a member of the Avicultural Society — visited me and saw the birds, and on 18th April another fancier, Mr. A. V. Nielsen visited me and saw the young being fed by the parents. The young were fed for a considerably long time after leaving the nest. In the nest the voice, as stated, was rather weak when begging, but after flying out the voice grew stronger and could be described as something like drrrr zirp • When fed the young take a horizontal position on the perch with their heads stretched a bit upwards, at the same time lifting and quivering the flight feathers and uttering the drrrr zirp, drrrr zirp sounds. Already on 27th April, when the young had been out of the nest about a fortnight, I saw one of them jumping up and down on the perch, like an adult cock. Later in the day I saw him singing in the characteristic position with the head stretched and the beak open. I could only see that the bird was singing, the voice being so weak that I could not hear it. On 1 9th May I observed for the first time that two of the young had W. LANGBERG - BREEDING OF THE GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL 10 1 started to grow the small white feathers and already on 8th June, when the birds were about eight weeks old, these two birds had all the small white feathers on the throat, cheeks and neck, exactly like the adult birds. Later on it turned out that these two birds were cocks, whereas I suppose that the third one, which has moulted out more slowly, is a hen. I have tried to breed with several other pairs of Odontospiza and also had young several times. At one time or another they have all, however, stopped feeding the young, and up to now I have only been successful in breeding the above mentioned young by their parents. In order to save something that would else have been lost I have tried to put eggs and young under Bengalese, but with poor success. I have only got two young in this way. On the other hand this gave me a better possibility to study the young birds during their growth. Professor Steiner also had young from his Odontospiza but also in this case the parent birds did not feed them, and they therefore died from starvation. My impression is, that this species is not very easy to breed. The birds seem quite willing to lay eggs, and even sit on them. They are, however, apparently unreliable feeders, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to maintain the species in captivity, even if a comparatively large number was imported in the autumn 1961. Also the usual short cut, to use Bengalese as feeders, seems to be unreliable with this species. All my experiences about the breeding of Odontospiza caniceps are from indoor cages. I did not have any finches in the garden-aviaries in the summer of 1962 because of the cold and wet weather, but have only kept and bred with my Australian parrakeets and the Grey Parrots outdoors. I hope we get a better spring and summer in 1 963 and if we do I will put some Odontospiza caniceps in my outdoor aviaries for breeding. Maybe they will breed more easily there because the birds are able to find more living food to feed their youngsters. 102 E. MAUD KNOBEL - PARROTS PARROTS By E. Maud Knobel (London, England) All my life I have been interested in parrots and I think I must have had one or two hundred pass through my hands. I have lived in a big house where they had plenty of room to fly and run about, but lately I have moved into a cottage and had to part with a good many. However, in spite of the smaller space I have managed to keep fifteen of them. The parrots I have kept have been mostly Greys and Amazons. The Greys are undoubtedly the best talkers, but the Amazons are more active and amusing. Few parrots are being imported these days and nothing rare has come in for a long time. The ones I have at the moment are four Greys, seven Amazons, three Caiques, and one Ring-neck. The Amazons are the Blue-fronted, two Yellow-fronted, one double- fronted, one Yellow-naped, one Orange- winged, and one Festive. I should like to hear from anyone who has more at the present time. Macaws are delightful birds to keep especially if they are tame. I have had several, but only two lately, the Blue and Yellow and the Red and Yellow. But the cottage was not big enough for them and I have had to give them away. The Red and Yellow went to that lovely place “ Birdland ” at Bourton-on-the-Water. He had to be kept in all the winter, but recently I heard that he is now out and free to fly about. He seems to have paid a visit to the school to see the children. I think they must have been astonished at seeing such a big bird. Caiques make sweet little pets, so tame and confiding. I have three different kinds — the Black-headed, the White-bellied, and a very rare Lutino. The little Ring-neck was picked up in a garden in Essex. It was advertised, but was never claimed and I was asked if I would give it a home. It had been kept in a stable and I was told it was extremely wild, but when it saw a cage it was delighted to get into it where I think it felt safe and happy. It is in wonderful condition and not a bit wild. The same sort of thing happened during the War. A Ring-neck flew into a room at a convent — the Nuns seemed scared stiff and asked if I would come — I took a cage and the moment the bird saw it, it was only too pleased to get inside. I think it must have escaped from France for it was so tired it slept for a week. I give here a list of the parrots I have had at different times. Active, Blue-faced, Blue-fronted, Diademed, Double-fronted, Dufresne, Festive, Finsch’s, Golden-naped, Mealy, Orange-winged, Red-throated, Palle’s, Vinaceous, Yellow-fronted, both the black beak and the white beak, Yellow-shouldered, Amazona albifrons , and xantholora. Hawkheads, Ring-neck, Senegal, Meyer’s, Dusky Alexandrine, Timor, HEINZ-GEORG KLOS - THE NEW BIRD HOUSE IN THE BERLIN ZOO IO3 Ring-neck, Rosella, Bauer’s, Blossom-head, Canary- winged, Cockateil, Bronze- winged, Orange-flanked Tovi and Tui. Of Macaws, Military, Blue and Yellow, Red and Yellow, Severe Illiger’s and Hahn’s, Cockatoos, Sulphur-crested, Leadbeater’s, Lesser Sulphur-crested, Rose-breasted, and a very small dwarf Cockatoo. * * THE NEW BIRD HOUSE IN THE BERLIN ZOO By Dr. Heinz-Georg Klos, Director, Berlin Zoological Gardens (Germany) At the beginning of December, 1962, the new Bird House was opened in the Berlin Zoo. As it is more than 3,300 sq. metres in area it must be by far the largest of its kind in the world and naturally all concerned in its construction endeavoured to make it the most beautiful and the most suitable for the birds. In spite of its enormous size the House does not contain long dull rows of cages but by the arrangement of wings of buildings in a square round an open courtyard garden a succession of different and charming vistas are presented. The main entrance, in which there is a mosaic depicting the abundance of colours of the feathered inmates in the adjoining rooms, leads the visitor first to the Parrot Section after a selection of bright exotic birds have greeted him in the special “ Reception aviaries ”. The Parrots are intentionally in a section quite separate from the rest of the house so that the calls made by these noise-loving birds do not penetrate everywhere and deafen people with sensitive ears. As parrots, with their sharp beaks, destroy wood and every growing plant the vegetation which is care¬ fully preserved all over the House has to be omitted. However, every¬ where else tropical vegetation of virgin forests has been allowed to grow so high that already a beautiful natural picture is given. Fountains provide the necessary humidity of the air and in addition, throughout the whole house, each aviary is provided with a “ rain- shower ” the fine mist from which can be used to spray the birds or to lay the dust. To give an unrestricted view, the front of the aviaries is of glass ; for this, however, we have used as far as possible light, non¬ reflecting glass in order to avoid the appearance of keeping the birds in an aquarium. Even in the make-shift quarters which we had previously, the col¬ lection of parrots in the Berlin Zoo was by far the richest in Germany. It now consists of over 200 parrots of more than fifty different species and there are some quite unusual rarities among them. Mention must be made of the Keas of New Zealand, the only ones in Germany, the enormous Black Palm Cockatoo, the Cockatoo collection and the select collection of unbelievably beautifully coloured lories. 0 S *0 20 30 HO SO ft. 1 Entrance. 2 Inside aviaries. 3 Outside aviaries. 4 Observation seats. 5 Food kitchen. 6 Keepers’ room. 7 Keepers’ corridors. 8 Quarantine. 9 Sand store. 10 Food store. 1 1 Service store. 12 Room for doctorate candi¬ dates. 13 Sluices. 14 Courtyard. A Parrot Section. B North Section. C Walk-through Aviary. D South Section. E Service Section. F Inner Courtyard. bi 5§31 Ic1^ ''‘S D. rr f% r ^ fe*C.-£g, 06 HEINZ -GEORG KLOS THE NEW BIRD HOUSE IN THE BERLIN ZOO In the adjoining courtyard, which in the summer can be crossed under a pretty creeper-covered pergola, the parrots which are hardened to cold weather are displayed in large aviaries — the rare Derbyan Parrakeet which extends to Tibet or the Argentine Quaker Parrakeet which later, following the old Berlin Zoo tradition, will be kept fully free-flying. The centre piece of the courtyard, with flower beds planted with interesting Mediterranean plants, is a fountain with steps. In the North Section which follows is the largest part of the Zoo’s collection of Toucans and Touracos and this again has no equal in Germany. A special treasure is the turquoise-blue Giant Touraco of the Congo virgin forests, the only specimen in captivity in a zoo in the whole world ! Next to it is the first importation after the war of four specimens of that peculiar bird the Kagu, which now, owing to the danger of the extinction of this species, is strictly protected. This bird’s resounding call is used as the time signal of the South Sea Radio Station Noumea. After passing a pond with Flamingoes and the orna¬ mental South American Ringed Teal, the path leads to aviaries placed in semi-darkness from which Little Owls look out of their hiding places in the natural rock like real goblins. An exhibition showing the autumn migrations of Storks illustrates the fascinating phenomenon of bird migration, while opposite, large observation windows give a glimpse of the principal food kitchen of the service section. Here visitors can see exactly how, under the direction of the experienced “ mistress of the house ”, Frau Johst, the hundreds of food trays and small dishes are filled with many different kinds of special mixtures. The synthetic nectar for the Humming Birds is brewed in “ mixers ”, sugar, tinned milk and honey form the food for the lories, and seeds, nuts, and kernels are chosen from the innumerable drawers of the large wall-cupboards and carefully and individually mixed for the seed-eaters. The South Section of the Bird House is certainly the most diverse of the whole complex. Here are large aviaries in which brightly-coloured weaver birds build their elaborate fibre nests in the branches, here is the large enclosure for waders in the form of a carefully-maintained muddy habitat in which plovers, avocets and sandpipers are shown in particularly good condition, here also are the brightly coloured Bee- eaters and the Tiger Bittern from the primeval forests of the Amazon demonstrates its acrobatic contortions. In the centre hall aviaries placed among flower beds principally contain delicate species of birds and those who keep cage-birds will be particularly interested and perhaps a little envious. Much the most beautiful are the scenic backgrounds of the Jewel room. Here the Zoo gardeners and workmen have created miniature habitat backgrounds in the most remarkable way, in which the “jewels ” of the bird world — Avicult. Mag, [To face p. 106 North Section with Aviaries for Toucans and Touracos. Avicult. Mag, ptl P3 o H C/3 w > 0. < w o oo S 0 H 2 W H < W • ptf < 0 eu z S w p - C/D [To face p. 107 HEINZ-GEORG KLOS - THE NEW BIRD HOUSE IN THE BERLIN ZOO IO7 Humming Birds, Cocks of the Rock, Sugar Birds, etc., are shown in a completely natural setting. On the branches of thorn bushes in the middle of the red-gold wastes of a desert habitat sit African Rollers, Ruby-throated Humming Birds whirr back and forth in front of great orchid blooms in the subdued light of a virgin forest, or Argentine Crakes scurry from sight like mice through a tropical thicket of rushes. The high-point of a visit to the 1 90 aviaries of the new Bird House is undoubtedly the walk-through aviary. Without being separated from the winged inhabitants by a wire-netting or other partition, visitors may walk on a winding forest path through a luxuriantly planted tropical landscape ; irridescent Glossy Starlings, Drongos, and Bulbuls fly around overhead, dainty rails scurry over the path, Barbets climb up and down the waving lianas, and in a small clearing Crocodile birds and beautiful Scarlet Ibises wade about in water-lily pools. The dazzling blooms of the parasitic plants shine from the enormous tree trunks and at the side exotic Mud-Turtles dive with lightning speed into a splashing woodland stream as the visitor approaches — in fact a true fairyland has been created. In spite of all this the Bird House with its 190 large aviaries only meets the need of a part of the Zoo’s collection of birds ; the larger species such as the gleaming brightly coloured pheasants, the Crowned Pigeons of New Guinea, the velvet-red Tragopans of the Himalayas, the Shoebill or the huge Argus Pheasant are housed in the new Pheasantry which, just completed, 160 metres in length and containing a large hall for the public, observation kitchens and observation breeding-pens, cannot be equalled elsewhere. It is the fourth Pheasantry to be constructed during the 120 years of the history of the Berlin Zoological Gardens and naturally we have endeavoured to utilize to the best advantage the experience accumulated in the passage of time. Pheasant breeding and rearing, formerly a speciality of Geheimrat Heck, will now be carried on by Heinrich Schwarz, the oldest animal keeper in Germany still in service, who was recently decorated with the “ Bundesverdienstkreuz ”, and undoubtedly this new large installation will prove a flourishing rearing place. 108 RAY MURRAY - THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH THE GENETICS OF THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH By Ray Murray (Camberwell, Victoria, Australia) Introduction Southern1 has described the behaviour of the gene which controls the red- and black-masked phases of the Gouldian finch ( Poephila gouldiae, Gould) . This article discusses the behaviour of the gene which controls the production of the much rarer yellow-masked phase. Mr. L. Webber of Epping, N.S.W. assisted me in carrying out this work on the yellow-masked phase. Red and Black Masked Phases The results of Southern’s work may be summarized as follows : As far as the red and black phases are concerned, the colour is controlled by a single sex-linked gene, the colour for red being domi¬ nant to black. Thus for the red and black phases there are five different types of birds. These are Phenotype. Genotypes. Cocks. Hens. Red RR, Rr RO Black rr rO For the above types of birds there are therefore six possible matings. The expected results from these matings are shown in Table i. Table i Mating Expected Results Parents Cocks Hens Cock Hen RR (red) Rr (red/black) (black) RO (red) rO (black) RR (red) RO (red) % 100 % % % 100 % RR (red) rO (black) 100 100 Rr (red/black) RO (red) 50 50 50 50 Rr (red/black) rO (black) 50 50 50 50 (black) RO (red) 50 50 100 (black) rO (black) 100 100 1 Southern, H. N. Journal of Genetics, Vol. 47, No. 1, July, 1947. RAY MURRAY - THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH IO9 The Yellow-masked Phase The results of crossing yellow-masked Gouldians and their progeny with the other two phases show that the yellow is a modified red phase. The factor which controls the production of yellow is recessive, auto¬ somal and thus independent of the sex-linked factor which controls the production of the black or red. Where a bird is homozygous for the yellow modifying factor but is without the red factor, the bird has a yellow tipped beak instead of the usual red tipped beak. There are therefore nine different types of cock birds and six different types of hens which concern us. If the symbol “ y ” is used to denote the “ yellow 53 factor the various types of birds may be designated as follows : — Cocks Genotype Phenotype Pure red ..... RRYY Red Red/yellow .... RRYy Red Pure yellow .... RRyy Yellow Red/black ..... RrYY Red Red/black/yellow RrYy Red Yellow/black .... Rryy Yellow Black (type a) rrYY Black Black (type b) rrYy Black Black (type c) rryy Black (yellow beak) Hens Red ..... ROYY Red Red/yellow .... ROYy Red Yellow ..... ROyy Yellow Black (type a) rOYY Black Black (type b) rOYy Black Black (type c) rOyy Black (yellow beak) From the fifty-four possible matings, the following were made. Mating Cocks Hens i RRyy X rOYY 2 RrYy X ROYy 3 RrYy X rOYy 4 Rryy X ROyy 5 Rryy X rOYy 6 rrYY X ROyy 7 rryy X rOyy 8 rryy X ROyy In the progeny of these matings it was not possible to distinguish, by appearance, between birds having the same head colour but of different genotype. For example, it was not possible to distinguish IIO RAY MURRAY - THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH between a pure red (RR) and a red /black (Rr) bird both of which have red masks. The progeny of the various matings fall into eight groups according to phenotype and sex. Phenotype Genotypes Cocks Hens Red .... RRYY, RRYy, RrYY, RrYy ROYY, ROYy Yellow . RRyy, Rryy ROyy Black (red beak) rrYY, rrYy rOYY, rOYy Black (yellow beak) rryy rOyy In comparing the actual results with the theoretical, the significance of the non-appearance of certain types will be appreciated. For example a yellow cock mated to a yellow hen does not produce a red bird. Absence of red birds in the progeny is one of the main proofs of the correctness of the hypothesis. The genotypes of the parents were, with the exception of black (type c) birds, determined either from breeding results of the birds themselves when tested with other birds of known genotypes or from their parentage. Type c birds were assumed to be pure for both recessive factors. Thus in mating i, the cock birds, bred from yellow parents produced no black progeny when mated with black hens. Similarly the hen (rOYY) produced no yellow or black (type c) birds when mated with yellow cocks. The parents in mating 2 were the progeny of mating 1 . Mating No. 1. Homozygous yellow cock (RRyy) X Black (type a) hen (rOYY). The germ cells for the yellow cock is Ry only and for the black (type a) hen rY and OY. The theoretical result is : — Cocks RrYy Red/yellow/black and hens ROYy red/yellow. There were nineteen young bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red 12 (12) 7 (7) Yellow . . . 0(0)0 (o) Black . . . 0(0)0 (o) (The figures shown in brackets are the expected results). RAY MURRAY - THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH I I I Mating No. 2. Red/yellow/black cock (RrYy) X red/yellow hen (ROYy). The germ cells for the red/yellow/black cock are RY, Ry, rY and ry. For the red /yellow hen RY, Ry, OY and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks l RRyy yellow, £ Rryy yellow/black, J RRYy red/yellow i RrYy red/yellow/black, £ RRYY red, £ RrYY red/black = ^ yellows, f red. Hens l ROyy yellow, | rOyy black (type c), f ROYy red/yellow, i rOYy black (type b), i ROYY red, £ black (type a) rOYY ; = £ yellows, f red, f black and £ black yellow beak. Fifty- two young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red ... ■ 16 (I5f) 9 (nf) Yellow 5 ( 5i) 2 ( 3!) Black 0(0) 19 (nf) Black yellow beak 0(0) 1 ( 3i) Mating No. 3. Red/yellow/black cock (RrYy) X black hen (type b) (rOYy). The germ cells for the red/yellow/black cock are RY, Ry, rY, ry and for the black hen (type b) rY, ry, OY and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks £ Rryy yellow/black, £ rryy black yellow beak, £ RrYy red/yellow/black, £ rrYy black (type b), £ RrYY red/black, £ rrYY black (type a). = £ yellow, f red, f black, £ black yellow beak. Hens £ ROyy yellow, £ rOyy black yellow beak, £ ROYy red/yellow £ rOYy black (type b), £ ROYY red, £ rOYY black (type a). = £ yellow, f red, f black and £ black yellow beak. Nine young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red ... • 1 (1*) 2 (i|) Yellow . • 1 ( i) 1 ( 1) Black . 2 (i*) 2 (if) Black yellow beak • 0 ( *) 0 ( 1) Mating No. 4. Yellow/black cock (Rryy) x yellow hen (ROyy). The germ cells for the yellow/black cock are Ry and ry, for the yellow hen Ry and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks £ RRyy yellow and £ Rryy yellow/black = all yellows. Hens £ ROyy yellow, ^ rOyy black yellow beak = \ yellow \ black yellow beak. I I 2 RAY MURRAY - THE YELLOW-MASKED GOULDIAN FINCH Fourteen young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red 0 (0) 0 (0) Yellow . 6 (6) 3 (4) Black 0 (0) 0 (0) Black yellow beak 0 (0) 5 (4) Mating No. 5. Yellow/black cock (Rryy) x black (type b) hen (rOYy). The germ cells for the yellow/black cock are Ry and ry and for the black hen (type b) rY, ry, OY and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks J Rryy yellow/black, J rryy black yellow beak, J RrYy red/yellow/black, i rrYy black (type b). = f yellow, l black yellow beak, \ red, J black. Hens l ROyy yellow, J rOyy black yellow beak, £ ROYy red/yellow, £ rOYy black type b). = £ yellow, £ black yellow beak, ^ red, J black. Thirteen young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red ... 3 (if) 2 (i£) Yellow . • 1 (if) 2 (ii) Black 2 (if) 1 (i£) Black yellow beak . 1 (if) 1 (ii) Mating No. 6. Black (type a) cock (rrYY) x yellow hen (ROyy) . The germ cells for the black (type a) cock is rY only and for the yellow hen Ry and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks All RrYy red/yellow/black. Hens all rOYy black (type b). Four young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red . . . 1 (1) 0(0) Black . . . o (o) 3 (3) Mating No. 7. Black yellow beak cock (rryy) X black yellow beak hen (rOyy). The germ cells for the black yellow beak cock is ry only and for the black yellow beak hen ry and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks All rryy black yellow beak. Hens all rOyy black yellow beak. DEREK GOODWIN- — A CAPTIVE RED-BILLED OXPEGKER I 13 Seventeen young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red 0 (0) 0 (0) Yellow 0 (0) 0 (0) Black 0 (0) 0 (0) Black yellow beak • 7 (7) 10 (10) Mating No. 8. Black cock yellow beak (rryy) X yellow hen (ROyy) . The germ cells for the black cock yellow beak is ry only and for the yellow hen Ry and Oy. The theoretical result is : — Cocks All yellow/black Rryy. Hens all black yellow beak rOyy. Nine young were bred from this mating and the results were : — Cocks. Hens. Red ... 0 (0) 0 (0) Yellow • 4 (4) 0 (0) Black 0 (0) 0 (0) Black yellow beak 0 (0) 5 (5) The author expresses his sincere thanks to Mrs. Harman of California, who furnished information on the mating of birds with yellow tipped beaks and to Messrs. K. H. Banks, B.Sc., B.Com., and A. Bowden, both of Melbourne for their help in the interpretation of results and the preparation of this article. * * * SOME BEHAVIOUR OF A CAPTIVE RED-BILLED OXPECKER By Derek Goodwin (London, England) The oxpeckers, also known as Tick Birds and Rhinoceros Birds are a highly specialized genus of passerines. (I hope those of my readers who know this will pardon and skip over the first paragraph of this article, which is merely to put those who don’t “ in the picture ”.) They spend most of their time resting or climbing about the bodies of large herbi¬ vorous mammals such as buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, rhinoceroses, and domestic cattle. Only two species exist, both confined to Africa. These are the Yellow-billed Oxpecker ( Buphagus africanus) and the Red¬ billed Oxpecker ( Buphagus erythrorhynchus) . Both are dull brown in colour with bufhsh belly and flanks, the Yellow-billed having also a buff rump. The bill of the latter species is (despite its name) parti¬ coloured, being yellow only for the basal half, its tip being a most vivid scarlet red. The bill of the Red-billed is red but sometimes with some 9 DEREK GOODWIN - A CAPTIVE RED-BILLED OXPEGKER 114 yellow along the cutting edge. Both nest in holes in trees or buildings. They feed largely on ticks but also, apparently, sometimes take blood or other liquid matter from wounds on animals. They do not appear to incommode the wild animals that they batten on, but have been accused of injuring domestic cattle by pecking at wounds and thus preventing them from healing. It need hardly be said that the wounds in question have usually been inflicted by man, but that does not lessen his resentment at the oxpeckers’ behaviour. At the moment (March, 1963) the London Zoo has one oxpecker of each species. The Yellow-billed is in an aviary, with a contrivance of canvas to simulate the body of a large mammal, for it to perch on. It is not very tame (as Zoo birds go) but sometimes shows what is either a Captive Yellow- billed Oxpecker giving begging or soliciting display to its reflection in rim of food dish. food-begging or sexual-solicitation display towards human beings. In this it adopts a horizontal posture and flutters its wings (see sketch) . It has an aluminium food dish and I have often seen it crouching so that it can look and see its reflection in the narrow rim and reacting to each good view of its image with a spasm of wing-fluttering. However, interesting as this pathetic enforced narcissism is in its way, the behaviour of the Red-billed Oxpecker is even more so. This latter bird is kept in a cage with a similar hessian “ ersatz mammal ” to perch on. When it first arrived at the Zoo it was hardly out of its fledglinghood (it does not yet appear to be fully mature as its bill is only just getting red) and Mr. John Yealland informs me that it had been taken as a nestling and hand-reared. It is in good condition and, at any rate with people on the other side of the bars, completely tame and unafraid. When it sees Mr. Yealland, whom it recognises at a distance, it gives what I think to be a self-assertive display in which it erects the feathers of belly and rump, sleeks down those of head, neck and foreparts generally, holds itself very upright (see sketch) and sways its head and neck slightly from side to side. Once or twice it has shown a very low-intensity version of this to me. When I first proffered this bird a mealworm I discovered that its “ oxpecking 55 behaviour could be elicited by human fingers. I have visited it many times and always it is desperately eager to perform what DEREK GOODWIN - A CAPTIVE RED-BILLED OXPEGKER IJ5 Captive Yellow-billed Oxpecker in self-assertive (?) display. are, evidently, its natural feeding-behaviour patterns, or at any rate some of them. If given a finger, or the whole hand against the wires of the cage, the oxpecker nibbles rapidly at it with a movement so quick that the mandibles and tongue appear to vibrate as it does so. It nibbles with its bill at right-angles to the skin but also often turns it sideways, nibbling with a scissors-like movement. The tongue appears to be in constant movement and there is a repeated, almost continuous, move¬ ment of the throat as if the bird were swallowing, as indeed I think it is. Only a slow-motion film would, however, be able to show exactly what movements are made. The feeling of the bird at work is not at all unpleasant when it is confining its attention to intact skin on hand or head. When working on a cut, however, it can become quite painful. On many occasions I have laid the side of my head against the cage front to give the oxpecker a choice of feeding biotope, albeit a rather restricted one. In such circumstances the bird nearly always chooses the parts covered with hair (I wear my hair rather short at the sides as a rule) to start with and works on them first although often soon being lured away by my ear. I do not let it work on these for long, however, since it not only tends to treat them very roughly but I cannot see what it is doing so that, scientifically, nothing is gained although the very slight pain does intensify one’s feelings of self-satisfaction at providing the poor creature with an outlet for its instincts ! The impression, that I had from the first, that the bird detached and swallowed tiny loose morsels of skin whilst nibbling the hand was corroborated when I experimented. When I cut little bits of the skin of my finger so that, while still partly attached, they stood up from the surface, the oxpecker nibbled, scissored, and tugged at them till (in a very few seconds) it had detached them, when they were greedily swallowed. I 1 6 DEREK GOODWIN A CAPTIVE RED-BILLED OXPECKER I cut the back of my finger with a razor blade (a friend who was with me and who shall be nameless having, with a deplorable lack of scientific zeal, declined to let me make use of his ear lobe for the experi¬ ment) until a little blood came. The oxpecker appeared even more excited by this than it had been by the fragments of loose skin. It consumed the blood with frantic haste and then nibbled avidly at the tiny wound. A few moments later I repeated the experiment (making a fresh incision) with the same result. It was noticeable that whereas only a very little blood oozed from the original wound (I waited for it to appear before offering it to the bird) after the oxpecker had nibbled for some moments the blood welled up more freely and in larger quantity. These observations were repeated an hour or so later. Although slightly painful and clearly effective in inducing freer flow of blood the bird’s nibbling at the cut place did not seem to result in any greater injury than the removal of cut bits of skin and, perhaps, some of the skin immediately around the cut. At least careful examination of the finger next day showed no signs of injury attributable to the oxpecker other than a reddening immediately around the cuts. The bill itself had left no marks. During the course of two protracted sessions as “ blood donor ” I presented a cut finger to the bird many times and was impressed by the speed with which every vestige of blood was removed and swallowed. Sometimes, but not invariably, the oxpecker initially put its bill side¬ ways against the finger as it started to work with nibbling bill tip and rapidly-moving tongue at the bleeding spot. This appeared to be slightly more efficient, but even when the bird started and continued work with its bill at right-angles to the finger all visible blood was cleared up in a few seconds. Obviously one must be careful in interpreting the actions of a solitary captive bird such as this. It is deprived of all possibility of seeking its food in the usual manner of its kind and this may account for its readiness to “ oxpeck ” the human hand or face. The eagerness for blood probably has relevance to ticks or other ectoparasites which, when engorged, burst as soon as the bird’s bill nibbles at them, rather than being an indication that it normally gets any blood from large mammals “ first hand ”. Its behaviour does, however, show that there is an innate recognition of some characteristics (? skin and warmth) of mammalian bodies that are alive and therefore “ worth investi¬ gating ”. Although this bird and the Yellow-billed specimen spend much time climbing about on or clinging to their hessian substitutes I have never seen either of them show any “ oxpecking ” behaviour when on these dummies. It also suggests fragments of the skin of the host mammals (probably those that are being shed as scurf) and possibly such things as dried sweat may play some part in the oxpeckers’ diet. It would be extremely interesting to put this bird in a large aviary JEAN DELACOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS I I J and, when it had become accustomed to its new surroundings, to introduce some suitable large mammal and see if it had an innate recognition of such creatures. If so one could expect an immediate approach, but not if oxpeckers learn which animals to use by following their parents or other adults or by a process of trial and error. Of course, there is the possibility that its being reared by and its continued association with people might, in any case, have so far corrupted its natural good taste that it would now prefer myself, or one of my readers, to a warthog or a wildebeest ; but it would be worthwhile to make the experiment. * * * NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS II. — South Australia By Jean Delacour (Cleres, France) (■ Continued from page 55) The vicinity of Adelaide offers to the bird watcher a great variety of species as there are, within easy reach, several distinct kinds of habitats, green wooded hills, large salt and fresh-water marshes and dry mallee (dwarf eucalyptus scrub). It has, moreover, the advantage of being the avicultural centre of the country with numerous bird collections, mostly of native parrakeets and finches, some very rare, which breed regularly. The Adelaide Zoo is well laid out, well kept, and well stocked with a particularly fine collection of Australian birds. Our readers are familiar with the name of Dr. Alan H. Lendon, an Honorary Fellow of our Society, who probably knows more about Australian parrakeets than anyone else. He has been extremely successful with the rarer and more difficult parrakeets and his excellent articles have often appeared in this magazine. They will also remember that the Avicultural Society of South Australia is affiliated to us. Dr. Lendon and Mr. R. McKechnie very kindly took charge of us. The country and its birds have little secrets for them — they know exactly where the different species can be found. They were perfect guides ; as they are also outstanding aviculturists, we saw the wild and captive birds of the area under the best possible conditions. I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to them and also to others, too numerous to be named, who were kind and helpful during our visit to South Australia. The close vicinity of Adelaide, the zoo, and some private aviaries were visited during the first two days, while the last two were reserved I 1 8 JEAN DELACOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS for extensive tours of the salt pans, brackish, and fresh-water ponds near the city, the mallee plateau and the lower valley of the Murray River. Australian zoos are suffering from the complete prohibition to import foreign birds ; they are therefore reduced to the local and New Zealand avifauna (New Guinea birds are not allowed in and ungulate mammals are also barred). There are still a few exotic species in aviaries brought in before prohibition or locally bred, mostly doves, par- rakeets, finches, pheasants, quails, and waterfowl. For the visitors from abroad, however, native birds are of greater interest, and the Adelaide Zoo offers an excellent series of them. The collection of parrakeets and cockatoos is particularly good, housed in highly suitable aviaries, where a number of them breed every year. Practically all native species are represented, as well as Keas and both Yellow-fronted and Red-fronted Parrakeets from New Zealand ; Blue-faced Mealy Rosellas and Clon- curry Barnard’s are particularly attractive and seldom seen elsewhere. It can be stated here that most Australian parrakeets are still common in the wild state. The species which are rare or very local are ; Brown’s, Queen Alexandra, Golden-shouldered, Scarlet-chested (Splendid), Turquoisine, Bourke’s, Orange-breasted (jV*. chrysogaster) , and Swamp ( Pezophorus wallicus) . The Night Parrot is very rare, and the Paradise Parrakeet may be extinct ; all cockatoos are numerous, except perhaps Gang-gangs and Leadbeater’s. Noticeable for a visitor from abroad were three species of Button Quail (Turnix melanogaster, velox , varia ), the native Quails, Bustards, Mallee Fowl and Brush Turkeys, and the Musk Duck ; certain doves : Brown Pheasant- tailed, Red-plumed ( Lophophaps ferruginea) , and Flock Pigeons (very Sandgrouse-like) ; there are also several very striking pure white Crested Pigeons ( Ocyphaps lophotes). Two female Lyrebirds, a Noisy Pitta ; many species of honey-eaters, and finches ; Ibis, Spoonbills, Plovers, Herons, Frogmouths, Kingfishers (Kookaburra and Sacred), Butcher Birds, Piping Crows, Bower Birds, Regent’s Birds, Cat-Birds, and Wood Swallows completed this excellent presentation of the native avifauna. There is also a good mammal collection, with breeding herds of many species of kangaroos and wallabies, some now very scarce. The installations are altogether practical and pleasing and it is evident that the Adelaide Zoo is managed by enthusiastic and experienced men. M. F. Basse, the President, and the members of the Council are to be congratulated. The Director, Mr. V. D. Haggard, has retired since my visit. A number of private collections are also very interesting. Dr. Lendon has now reduced his collection to a few very rare parrakeets, particularly the Golden-shouldered. But Mr. C. C. Burfield has a large and interesting one, not only of parrakeets but also of doves, JEAN DELAGOUR - NOTES ON AUSTRAL AND SOUTHERN PACIFIC BIRDS I 1 9 waterfowl, passerines, and other birds. He breeds a remarkable colour mutation of the Scarlet-chested, or Splendid Parrakeet in which the blue of the face invades other parts of the plumage. The aviaries of Mr. Robert Wright and Mr. J. Jolly are also well built, well kept, and agreeably surrounded by plants and flowers. One night we had a well attended and interesting avicultural meeting when I had the pleasure to meet many local aviculturists and bird students. We found some very nice birds in the city of Adelaide. Mudlarks and native Magpies ( Grallina and Gymnorhina ) are everywhere, as in all Australian towns, and two species of Lorrikeets (Swainson’s and Purple-crowned) were feeding in the small, pink-flowered eucalyptus trees lining a street. In the wooded hills of the suburbs, numerous birds can be observed, including Adelaide and Port Lincoln Parrakeets (also known as Bauer’s) ; but I cannot attempt, of course, to list here all the species seen, and I will only mention the most striking ones, or those of special interest to aviculturists. A little further away lies a large flat area consisting of many salt¬ water pans, surrounded by scrub and, between them and the sea, a shallow fresh- water lake. It is a bird sanctuary ; waterfowl are abun¬ dant, some preferring one habitat, while others are partial to the other. Black Swans lived on both, but were more numerous and breeding on the second. There were many Black Ducks and Grey Teal, and also a number of Chestnut, which kept more to the mangroves and reed-beds ; Australian Shovelers, Pink-eared Ducks, and White-eyes were common, and there were Blue-bills ( Oxyura ) and Musk Ducks. The two species of Stilts were abundant, the White-headed one (with black nape and hind-neck), much like the American, and the very pretty Banded ( Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) , with white neck, back, and belly, dark wings, and a broad chestnut band on the breast ; these were swimming about, picking food from the water, much as Phalaropes do. The Australian Avocet is probably the prettiest of all, with its chestnut head and neck. Two species of Grebes, Terns, and many Dotterel, Sandpipers, and Stints were there ; also Spur- winged (Yellow- wattled) , and Banded Plovers, two birds which live and breed well in aviaries. We saw several little flocks of Blue- winged Parrakeets on the low bushes along the road, and here and there the tiny and lovely Blue and White Wrens. The larger rails were in evidence in the marsh : Blue Porphyrios, Dusky Moorhens (larger and darker than the European), and Native Hen ( Trihonyx ventralis) . Coots abound, the same as in Europe and Asia. Galahs were numerous as always, and we saw a few Brush Bronze- wings near the coast. We drove across the attractive, wooded, and cultivated hills to the dry mallee plateau, and it was a completely different country. The slender, crooked eucalyptus, with scattered bushy undergrowth, stretch 120 JOHN GARRATT - BREEDING OF YELLOW- WINGED SUGAR BIRD far and wide. The mallee in fact covers most of the dry interior of Australia. It is interspersed here and there by cultivated fields. Despite its parched aspect, it has a rich bird life — we found three nests of the Tawny Frogmouths, so tame that they would leave the nest only when touched. Barnard’s, Blue-bonnet, Many-coloured, and Red- rumped Parrakeets were common and nesting ; Diamond Sparrows and Zebra-finches, Mistletoe Birds ( Dicoeum ), Crested Bell-birds ( Oreoica ), Thornbills ( Acanthiza ), and White-faced Chats ( Epthianura alhifrons) were conspicuous. This is also the habitat of the Common Bronze-winged Pigeon. There were also many interesting small birds. We found the nest of the Mallee Fowl, but could see none of the birds. We finally reached the lower valley of the Murray River, the largest permanent water course of the continent. We saw our first Peaceful Doves along it. At one spot, in the grass and willows, there is an established colony of the South African Grenadier Weavers. We saw Common Blue and Purple-backed Wrens here and there. But it is in the large swamps, beyond the river, that our finest display of water-birds came into view ; Black Swans with cygnets ; Musk Ducks, some huge males going through their prolonged and extraordinary display ; all sorts of rails and ducks ; two species of Ibises (White and Straw-necked), two of Spoonbills (Royal, Yellow-billed). We never tired of watching them. I am afraid these notes give a very inadequate impression of this most interesting country, but it would take a whole volume to enumerate all the thrilling sights which it was our privilege to enjoy. Bird lovers visiting Australia must see Adelaide and its neighbourhood. [To be continued) * * * BREEDING OF YELLOW-WINGED SUGAR BIRD By John Garratt (Rustington, Sussex) In 1962 my pair of Yellow- winged Sugar Birds ( Cyanerpes cyaneus) nested and raised two sturdy young chicks in my winter garden. After building her nest of dried grasses, cow hair, and feathers, the hen laid two small white eggs speckled with red on 15th and 1 6th July. These hatched on 26th and 27th July and the young left the nest on 9th August. The young birds had to be fed on live food so the hen was supplied with mealworms, live ants’ eggs and small spiders, also hundreds of fruit flies ( Drysophila repleta ). In the corner of my orchid house I have a fabulous fly farm where large supplies of fruit flies are bred, rather to the disgust and annoyance of my long-suffering wife. The young birds were separated from their parents at the beginning of September, fed well on their own and appeared remarkably fit. Avicijlt. Mag. Copyright ] [ James Clevett Young Yellow- Winged Sugar Bird, near Nest. Four Weeks Old. Copyright ] [ James Clevett Two Young Yellow- Winged Sugar Birds. Four Weeks Old. [To face p. 120 JEFFERY BOSWALL - RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS 12 1 RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS By Jeffery Boswall (B.B.C. Natural History Unit, Bristol, England) Introduction People have been recording the sounds produced by birds for almost as long as it has been possible to record sounds of any sort. To date about 2,300 of the world’s 8,600 known species of birds have been recorded during the last three-quarters of a century. In Europe, 313 species out of the 419 known to nest west of the Urals (Voous, 1961) had been recorded in Europe, to my knowledge, by mid- 1 962. For the British Isles, of the 244 species which can be seen annually (Peterson et al ., 1956, plus the Parrot Crossbill ( Loxia pityopsittacus) and Collared Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto) ), 201 had been recorded by the end of 1962. Remarkably enough, the vast majority of them are of wild birds. It is the purpose of this essay to outline the early history of recording the voices of captive birds, and to draw attention to the splendid opportunities which aviculturists have for this work. Early History The earliest recording extant of any bird is on a wax cylinder in the possession of Ludwig Koch — the “ Master of Nature’s Music ”. It was made in Frankfurt in 1889 with an Edison phonograph (Koch, 1955). The bird was a Common Shama ( Copsychus malabarico) and its voice is preserved in the B.B.C. ’s Sound Archive, along with almost all Dr. Koch’s other recordings. The earliest mention in scientific literature of the reproduction of bird song also refers to a cage bird. The account of the 16th Congress of the American Ornithologists’ Union, held in 1898 (Anon, 1899), mentions the playing of a “ graphophone demonstration of a Brown Thrasher’s song ” by Dr. Sylvester D. Judd of Washington, D.C. A world discography (Boswall, 1961a and 1962) shows that about 160 individual gramophone records, or albums of records, have been commercially issued since 1908. The earliest one of all gave the voice of a captive nightingale ( Luscinia megarhynchos ) in the Carl Reich aviary in Berlin. It is worth quoting in full the entry in the H.M.V. Catalogue for 1908-10 about this historic disc : — “ Unique Bird Record. G.C. 9439. Made by a Captive Nightingale. For the first time in the history of the Talking Machine industry, a genuine record has been obtained of a bird. The Nightingale in question is the property of Herr Carl Reich, of Berlin, and was taken from its nest shortly after hatching, and reared by hand. The bird, therefore, can be said to have been 122 JEFFERY BOSWALL - RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS hatched in captivity, and consequently bird lovers can put out of their minds all thoughts of a wild bird being confined in a cage. This particular bird is a famous songster, and is taken about through Germany by its proud possessor for show purposes. There was no difficulty in obtaining the record. The cage was suspended in front of the horn, and as soon as the recording motor was set in motion, the bird began singing and did not even stop when it should, as will be seen by the last note of the record, which clearly shows the bird went on singing after the instrument stopped recording. As this is the first record of its kind, no one interested in the Gramophone should be without it.” Unfortunately, we are all without it, as no copy exists so far as I can discover. Gramophone Records Altogether I have a note of twenty-three gramophone records devoted either entirely or chiefly to the voices of captive birds. The recordings for eleven of them were made in Britain, for seven in Germany, for three in France, and for two in the U.S.A. In the following discography, they are arranged chronologically by year of issue, under national headings. I would be particularly glad to hear from any member of the Avicultural Society of any additional references : — Britain Anon (c. 1928). “ Canary Bird Song.” One io-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. PO.5003. Decca, London. “ Made by captive singers of F. Blanck’s breed ; cocks and hens bred 1928.” (These recordings may not have been made in Britain.) Huxley, J. S. (1935). “ Zoo Voices.” Six 5-inch, 78 r.p.m. discs. Sound Distributors, London. These include thirteen avian voices from Regent’s Park and Whipsnade Zoos. Huxley, J. S., and Koch, L. (1938). “ Animal Language.” Two 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. discs, nos. 103 and 104, accompanying book, 62 pp. Country Life, London. Seven African bird species. Anon (1952). “ Joey the Budgie.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. QPS 1. Queensway, London. Two sides of the usual random chatter by a reasonably good mimicking Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) . Anon (1955). “ Joey the Chatterbox.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. F. 1 0662. Decca, London. Two sides of almost unintelligible talk ; clearly not the same Joey as above. JEFFERY BOSWALL— RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS 1 23 Anon (c. 1955). “ £ Beauty Metcalfe 5 and £ Sandy Paul 5 — Talking Budgerigars.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. F. 10297. Decca, London. Williams, M. (1958). ££ Sparkie Williams.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. 4475. Parlophone, London. A popular disc giving incredibly clear ££ speech ” by a Budgerigar. Williams, M. (1962). ££ Pretty Talk.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc. Caperns, London. Mainly human speech, for a Budgerigar to copy, but also some actual examples. This disc sold over 20,000 copies. Duddridge, Peter (1962). ££ Wildfowl Calling.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. 7 EG8764. H.M.V., London. Eighteen Anatids recorded at the Wildfowl Trust collection, Slimbridge. Duddridge, Peter (1962). ££ Voices of Birdland.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. D.M.P. 101. Midwinter Recording. Chelten¬ ham, England. Nineteen species recorded in Leonard Hill’s attractive bird garden at Bourton-on-the-Water. Germany Reich, Carl (1908). ££ Unique Bird Record : made by a Captive Nightingale.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. GC 9439. H.M.V., London. Referred to earlier under ££ Early History ”. Reich, Carl (c. 1927). £C Actual Record of Captive Nightingales.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. B. 390. H.M.V., London. Two birds in song. Anon (c. 1927). ££ Nightingale, Blackcap, Garden Warbler ” and ££ Canaries ”. One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. E.G.576. H.M.V., London. Captive birds, probably in Carl Reich’s aviary. Anon (1928). ££ Canaries at International Championship, 1928.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. O-i 1956. Odeon, Germany. Reich, Carl (1929). ££ Canaries in Song.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. B 2947. H.M.V., London. Two birds on one side, three on the other. Anon (1934). ££ Canary Song. German Championship, 1934.” One 1 o-inch disc, no. 10200. Polydor, Germany. Anon (c. 1937). ££ Canary Song.” One 1 o-inch, 78 r.p.m. disc, no. 21333. Grammophon, Germany. France Anon ( 1 948) . ££ Oiseaux.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. 7 EMF 106. Pathe-Marconi, Paris. 124 JEFFERY BOSWALL - RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS Band 3 of side 1 was recorded in a Budgerigar aviary, and band 4 of side 2 is a single kind of that species. On side 2, band 1, the listener can hear an African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus) saying “ Bonjour Coco ! ”. Roche, J. C. [c. 1959). “ Chants des Canaries.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. 91.375. B-Med. Pacific, Paris. Examples of various song passages which trained canaries ( Serinus canaria) sing. Two breeds are represented : the “ Hartz Moun¬ tain ” and the “ Paris Nightingale ”. Albouse, G. (i960). “ Le Canari du Hartz.” One 7-inch, 33-3 r.p.m. disc, no. LDY 5002. “ Le Chante du Monde,” Paris. The U.S.A. Collias, N., and Greenhall, A. M. (1954). “ Sounds of Animals.” One 12-inch, 33-3 r.p.m. disc, no. FPX 126. Folkways, New York. This important disc includes much of the vocabulary of the Domestic Fowl ( Gallus gallus ) illustrating in sound the fascinating paper by Collias and Joos (1953). The voice of the Rhea {Rhea americana ) recorded at Detroit Zoological Park can also be heard. Anon (c. i960). “ Parakeet Training Record.” One 7-inch, 45 r.p.m. disc, no. UB-52-469A. Hartz Mountain Products Co., New York. A lady’s voice (American accent) repeating phrases for a Budgerigar to learn and some brief mimicry from a bird. Of these twenty- three records, eight are of talking birds, mostly Budgerigars ( Melopsittacus undulatus ), and a further seven are of domestic Canaries [Serinus canaria) . Three present the songs of European Oscines recorded in Germany, and two vocalizations by birds in the collections of the Zoological Society of London. The unrivalled waterfowl collection of the Wildfowl Trust provided Peter Duddridge with the opportunity for his first disc, and for his second he went to the “ Birdland ” aviaries at Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire. Finally, Collias gives us a most interesting scientific excursion into the vocabulary of the domestic farmyard chicken [Gallus gallus). Garstang (1923, p. 37) mentions a captive Song Thrush [Turdus ericetorum ), an H.M.V. disc, B 392, but gives no further details. Gramophone records devoted primarily to recordings of wild birds sometimes include reproductions of the voices of aviary specimens. Among the Palearctic discs we find a number of examples. Palmer (1958-62) includes among the 199 species in his magnificent Swedish set a “ conversation ” between a pair of captive Snowy Owls [Nyctea scandiaca). North and Simms (1958) include in Witherbfs Sound-Guide to British Birds calls of four species of goose recorded in confinement. In the “ Ils chantent pour vous ” series, disc I include the voice of the Orange Canary, i.e. a hybrid between a cock Red-hooded Siskin JEFFERY BOSWALL - RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS 1 25 (1 Carduelis cucullata) and hen Canary ( Serinus canaria) (Albouze, 1956) ; and disc IV gives the song of the White-rumped Seed-eater ( Serinus leucopygius) (Albouze, c. 1959). Unpublished Recordings from Zoos and Aviaries It is far beyond the scope of this contribution to attempt a review of work done in the general field of bio-acoustics on birds brought into captivity for the purpose. Striking work has been done in this country, for example by W. H. Thorpe, and others, at the Madingley Ornithological Research Station at Cambridge. Dr. Thorpe tells me that during some twelve years research into vocal communication and expression in birds, recordings have been made of “ All British finches (including buntings and many hybrids), and many exotic finches, buntings and doves, and hybrids of those in captivity ”. This work has resulted in a series of important papers (e.g. Thorpe, 1958, and Marler, 1956) and a stimulating monograph, Bird-Song (Thorpe, 1961). Other outstanding studies are those of Gompertz (1961) on the Great Tit (. Parus major ) and Hall (1962) on the Estrildines. From a world review of avian bio-acoustic work in i960 and 1961 (Lanyon, 1962) it is evident that birds in confinement are not infrequently the objects of experimental acoustic study. He quotes, for example, Blase’s (i960) work on Red-backed Shrikes ( Lanius collurio ) reared in soundproof rooms : Thielke’s comparison of songs of European Tree Creepers ( Certhia brachyolactyla and familiaris ) hand- reared in Germany, and so on. There are, of course, many more examples of this kind of work in progress in Europe and elsewhere, but in this paper I want to stress rather the importance of the oppor¬ tunities provided by birds which are already in confinement, particu¬ larly in Britain. The best example is that of the work done at the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge. By i960 the voices of twenty-seven forms of Anaditidae of twenty-five species (Boswall, 19616) had been recorded there by Ludwig Koch and Eric Simms and incorporated in the B.B.C.’s library of natural history recordings (Anon, 1961). Some of Peter Duddridge’s Slimbridge recordings of about eighty species have since been added to the B.B.C. collection, and a selection of eighteen species from his library were used for the disc earlier mentioned. Early in 1962 two Research Associates of Cornell Univer¬ sity’s Laboratory of Ornithology — Col. Donald S. and Mrs. Marian P. McChesney — recorded the voices of at least eighty waterfowl species in the Trust’s grounds (Kellogg, 1962). For an up-to-date list of species and forms recorded at Slimbridge, see Boswall (in press, c). Although nineteen zoos qualify for inclusion under the headings of “ Great Britain ” in the International %oo Yearbook list of “ Zoos and 126 JEFFERY BOSWALL - RECORDING THE VOICES OF CAPTIVE BIRDS Acquaria of the World 55 (Jarvis and Morris, i960), recording work on any scale has been done only in Regent’s Park and Whipsnade, so far as I am aware. Zoos are particularly important sources of new material since so many of their birds are from regions where little recording work has been done on wild species. In the Oriental region in particular the taping of birds has been no more than fragmentary, probably only a dozen species having been recorded. In the Ethiopian region the total recorded is little more than three hundred, and in the Antarctic (with an admittedly not very rich avifauna) probably only about thirty species. My main source of information on work done in the collection of the Zoological Society of London is the B.B.C.’s catalogue of natural history recordings (Anon, 1961), which shows that Ludwig Koch, Eric Simms, and an occasional B.B.C. engineer have between them recorded twenty- two non-European species. Of these, fifteen were from Africa south of the Sahara — including the Knysna Turaco ( Tauraco corythaix ) ; two from the Indian sub-continent — the Indian Hill Mynah ( Eulabes religiosa :) and Common Peafowl ( Parvo cristatus ) ; two from the bird continent, South America — the Brazilian Caracara (. Polyborus tharus ) and the Brazilian Cariama ( Cariama cristata ) ; the Emu ( Dromais novae-hollandicie) from Australia ; two Antarctic Penguins ( Pygoscelis antarctica and P. papua ), and lastly, two eastern Palearctic birds. I myself have recorded the chittering call of the Burrowing Owl (1 Speatyto cunicularia ) at the Jersey Zoological Park. Turning to other collections in this country, Peter Duddridge tells me that he has taped thirty species at Mr. Leonard Hill’s delightful bird garden at Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire (some of which appear on the disc mentioned earlier) and about ten at the Charlecote Bird Garden. REFERENCES The references which bear an asterisk (*) have not been seen in the original by the writer of this article. Albouze, G. (1956). “ Ils chantent pour vous,” I (gramophone record). “ Le Chant du Monde,” Paris. - (c- J959)- “ Us chantent pour vous,” IV (gramophone record). “ Le Chant du Monde,” Paris. Anon (1899). “ Report on the Sixteenth Congress of the American Ornithologists’ Union.” Auk, 52-3. Anon (1961). B.B.C. Natural History Recordings (Catalogue). B.B.C. , London. *Blase, B. (i960). Zeit L. Tierpsychol, 17, 293-344. Boswall, J. (1961a). “A World Catalogue of Gramophone Records of Bird Voice.” Bio- Acoustics Bull., 1 (2), 1-12. Cornell University, New York. - (19616). “Voice Recordings of the Anatidae.” Twelfth Annual Report of the Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, England. - (in press, a). “ Sound Recording,” in A New Dictionary of Birds. Ed., Sir Landsborough Thomson. Thomas Nelson, Edinburgh. - (in press, b ). “A Discography and Species Index of Palearctic Bird Sound Recordings.” Brit. Birds. - (in press, c). “Additional Voice Recordings of the Anatidae.” Fourteenth Annual Report of the Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, England. S. SHAPIRO - UNUSUAL BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG GOULDIAN FINCHES 127 Boswall, J. (1962). “ Amendments and Additions to a World Catalogue of Gramo¬ phone Records of Bird Voice.” Bio-Acoustics Bull ., 2 (4), 25-9. Cornell University, New York. - (in preparation). Bird Sound Recording in the British Isles. Collias, N., and Joos, J. (1953). “ The Spectrographic analysis of the Sound of the Domestic Fowl.” Behaviour, 5, 175-89. Garstang, W. (1923). Songs of the Birds. The Bodley Head, London. Gompertz, T. “ The Vocabulary of the Great Tit.” Brit . Birds , 54, 369-94 and 409-18. Hall, M. F. (1962). “Evolutionary Aspects of Estrildid Song.” Symp. £00/. Soc. Land ., No. 8, 37-55. Jarvis, C., and Morris, D. (i960). International Zjoo Tear Book No. II. Zoological Society of London. Kellogg, P. P. (1962). Sound Recording Expeditions. Newsletter to Members. Cornell Univ., Lab. of Orn., U.S.A. Koch, Ludwig (1955). Memoirs of a Birdman. Phoenix House, London. Lanyon, W. E. (1962). “Avian Bio-Acoustics, i960 and 1961.” Bio-Acoustics Bull., 2 (2 and 3), 13-17. Marler, P. (1956). “ The Voice of the Chaffinch and its Function as a Language.” Ibis., 98, 231-61. North, M. E. W., and Simms, E. (1958). Witherbfs Sound-Guide to British Birds (books and gramophone records). Witherby, London. Palmer, Sture (1958-62). Radions Fagel Skivor (thirty gramophone records). Sveriges Radio, Stockholm. Peterson, R., Mountfort, G., and Hollom, P. A. D. (1956). A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Collins, London. *Thielke, G. (i960). Jour.f. Ornithol., 101, 286-90. Thorpe, W. H. (1961). Bird Song. Cambridge Univ. Press. - • (1958). “ The Learning of Song Patterns by Birds . . .” Ibis, 100, 535-70. Voous, K. H. (i960). Atlas of European Birds . Nelson, London. * * * UNUSUAL BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG GOULDIAN FINCHES By S. Shapiro (Johannesburg, South Africa) I have the following observation to report on what I consider to be the peculiar behaviour of young Gouldian Finches. I bred Gouldians on a community basis, i.e. six pairs of Gouldians in an outside aviary 6 by 15 by 7 feet high, no other birds but Chinese Painted Quail being present. The particular nest of birds of which I speak was the first of the season and the three youngsters left the nest on 9th March, 1963. On the 21st March, 1963, the young were still being fed by the parents. Thereafter two became independent but the third remained immature and kept up an incessant chirping for attention. This immature bird, which I shall call A, did not look well and was not strong on the wing. I was easily able to catch it by hand and ring it. The other two youngsters which I shall call B and G were perfect in every respect. Up to 24th March, 1963, A was still being fed by the parents. Between 18th and 26th March, 1963, A was seen to be fed by B and G (i.e. its own nest mates) on numerous occasions. The feedings were not just token feedings but were accompanied by 128 OBITUARY the usual wing fluttering displays, and regurgitated food was seen to pass from one bird to another. On one occasion while A was being fed by B, G was seen to enter another nest of Gouldian nestlings and from the characteristic noise was feeding these. On 27th March, 1963 A was still being fed by its nest mates but was making attempts to feed itself. This bird unfortunately died on the 28th March. * * * OBITUARY JOHN SPEDAN LEWIS 1885-1963 One more of my old and dear friends has left us — taking with him more of my fond memories. We had long been closely associated in the pursuit of our common interests, particularly birdkeeping and gardening. John Spedan Lewis, a Vice-President of the Society since 1938, died on 21st February, 1963, at Longstock, Stockbridge, in the cottage he had built three years ago to enjoy peace and comfort in the company of his devoted secretary and housekeeper. It is a great relief to hear that he passed away suddenly and quietly soon after he had gone to bed, after a day of normal activities. He was seventy-seven years old. He had a very full life. We can only mention here the tremendous work he has done in expanding very successfully the large business he inherited from his father, and more so in turning it into a partnership, thus presenting his employees with the large fortune he could have kept. Spedan Lewis’s unselfishness and idealistic generosity have few, if any, equals in the world to-day. His other line of interest was the study of nature, which he started as a child. An avid reader, he learned a great deal — his knowledge of the native plant and animal life of England was remarkable. He was also a keen gardener, and he carried on with these hobbies until his last day. Spedan Lewis joined the Avicultural Society in 1924 and I met him at the Zoo the following year. He was then living at Hampstead, where he had built some excellent aviaries, with large heated shelters for rare passerine birds, particularly Birds of Paradise, and a few others. He also had a fine collection of wild cats in outdoor cages. He soon took great interest in owls and gathered a large collection of them, which were housed at Wargrave and cared for by Miss Ethel Chawner, a learned and enthusiastic naturalist, and long a specialist of these birds. He became a member of the Council in 1927. When he left his house at Hampstead, he built a series of aviaries at Odney (Cookham), a park used as a country club by the John Lewis Partnership. He acquired many more birds, including pheasants, a large number of OBITUARY 29 them brought over by Messrs. Frost, Webb, Shaw-Mayer, and Gordier, sharing these collections with Ezra, Whitley, and me. Spedan Lewis moved to Leckford, Stockbridge, Hampshire, in 1933, and Miss Chawner followed him. Great developments soon took place. With my advice, many very spacious pens for pheasants were erected up on the hill, and they were as good as any I have ever seen ; also a large duckery was established in the valley on fast-running chalk streams and ponds, in a perfect location. There were furthermore, roomy pens for swans, geese, and cranes. Excellent collections of all these birds were gathered, many of them bred at Cleres. Numerous indoor and outdoor aviaries for parrots, doves and small birds, and enclosures for Rheas and park animals completed the installation. Spedan and I had great fun planning this accommodation. We had become close friends through the years and saw a lot of each other in England and in France. He was also a benefactor of the London Zoo, presenting many rare species, and of the British Museum, several expedi¬ tions being sponsored by him. A livestock department had been opened at Peter Jones, one of the London stores of the Partnership, in 1938. It was soon closed down, but a fortunate result was that Mr. Terry Jones, who had been engaged to work in it, was then sent to Leckford. Until then Miss Chawner had supervised the collections with the help of Mr. H. Milligan, who had acquired a great deal of experience at Elbeuf, caring for the birds of Madame E. Lecallier, and later at Cleres. Terry Jones joined them, and when Miss Chawner, a great friend to him, was obliged to curtail her activities, he assumed full responsibility for the collection. Everyone knows what a success he has made of it, particularly of waterfowl breeding. The Leckford collection was at its height in 1939 when war was declared. Mr. Jones joined the Navy. It became more and more difficult during the following years to feed and care for the birds. Many were disposed of, particularly the cranes, but a good many species of waterfowl and pheasants were preserved. It was lucky, as European and even American collections were replenished after the war from that valuable nucleus. Mr. Lewis most kindly presented many specimens to me to restock Cleres in 1946. Waterfowl still are reared there to-day on an economic basis. Spedan Lewis’s interest in his captive birds gradually diminished during the last ten years. His devoted wife had died in 1953, a terrible blow, and his health began to decline. A very serious illness of his early years had always obliged him to take precautions, and these became more urgent. He however was still a lover of plants and nature in general. I visited him a few times each year and we had the same long talks and discussions as we had in earlier days. I shall miss them deeply, as also his true friendship and affection. J. Delacour. 10 30 J. J. YEALLAND - LONDON ZOO NOTES LONDON ZOO NOTES By J. J. Yealland A Bittern found in a Cornish town during January, 1962, and deposited here by the R.S.P.C.A. has now been sent to Minsmere reserve where the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is trying to rehabilitate specimens collected from various places. During the severe weather most of the Bitterns scattered and must have suffered heavy mortality. A male Eider Duck (ringed in Denmark), a female Scoter, a Gannet, and a Common Gull (ringed at Heligoland) were picked up in different parts of Kent and Essex and sent here. Other arrivals include a pair of Cereopsis Geese, eight Japanese Quail, two Blue-headed Parrots ( Pionus menstruus), a Hoopoe, a Meadow Pipit, a Virginian Cardinal, a Mistle Thrush, four Gouldian Finches, two Siskins, and four Alpine Choughs. A pair of Baikal Teal and an Eastern White-breasted Waterhen have been sent from Hong Kong by Dr. K. C. Searle. A Black-footed Penguin and a Crested Pigeon have been bred in the gardens. The Japanese Quail is not recorded as having been in the collection at any earlier date, but this seems unlikely, for it has long been domesticated in parts of eastern Asia and for several years in this country, being kept for the large number of eggs that it lays, and reared for the table. Like the nominate race which is a summer visitor to this country and to other parts of Europe and to western Asia, Coturnix c. japonica is migratory in at least part of its range, breeding as far northward as Sahkalin and parts of Japan and wintering as far southward as Siam and Indo-China. Other races are resident in the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, and parts of Africa and Madagascar, Comoro Islands, and Mauritius. In eastern China where this quail used to occur in large numbers on migration, many were netted, shot, or caught with hawks. The males were also used for fighting contests. Pere David stated that the birds were “ bathed in hot tea and dried inside their owners’ sleeves and then fed. After the process has been repeated several times the birds become very tame ”. It was said that the contestants were put upon a railed table and millet thrown there, “ and as soon as one picks up a grain, the fight begins.” NEWS AND VIEWS 13 NEWS AND VIEWS Miss Geraldine Russell Allen has been elected Chairman, The North of England Zoological Society, in succession to the late Mr. G. B. Groundsell. * * * Major A. N. Weinman, formerly Director, The Zoological Gardens of Ceylon, is now Director of the National Zoo, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaya. * * * The Royal Horticultural Society has awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour to Norman G. Hadden. The last member to receive this high distinction was the late Dr. Maurice Amsler. * * * Dr. J. Steinbacher kindly informs me that the Citril Finch Spinus citrinellus has been bred in Germany by Karl Sabel. This may well be a first success anywhere. It is possible that W. E. Teschemaker was successful in Devonshire, in 1913, but he did not publish any details of the event. * * * The Bronze Medal of the Avicultural Society of South Australia has been awarded to R. W. McKechnie, for breeding the Black-faced Wood-Swallow Artamus cinereus. McKechnie has previously bred the Dusky A. cyanopterus , the Masked A. personatus and the White-browed A. super ciliosus, so that he has now bred four of the six species comprising the genus Artamus. * * * Kenneth Russell sends further news of his Sierra Parrakeets (see 1962, 213). He writes : “ I regret that ultimately the breeding wasn’t a complete success — the three youngsters perished, due to the rain penetrating the nest-box, which was not a very suitable one for this species. I have wintered them indoors (unheated) and they do not appear to have been particularly affected by the cold. They are really charming little birds, seemingly quite inoffensive, sharing a flight with Queen Whydahs and a Red-headed Finch. All my parrakeets outdoors have so far come through this bitter weather quite well. A pair of Alexandrines decided to nest with resultant egg-binding. The hen survived, however, so I am hoping that they may resume domestic pursuits in more seasonable weather later on.” * * * Lismara breeding results, 1962. Seventy-one parrakeets were reared : four Ring-necked (parents blue $ and green $) ; four Ring-necked (parents blue and lutino $) ; two lutino Ring-necked ; two Plum¬ headed (the male parent is a yellow bought from the late Duke of Bedford, and must now be a great age) ; five Rock Pebblers ; two Barraband’s ; fourteen Yellow-rumped ; five Pennant’s ; four Bar¬ nard’s ; three Red-rumped ; two Stanleys ; four Red Rosellas ; one 32 NEWS AND VIEWS Splendid ; five Elegants ; four Blue-winged ; eight Nyasa Lovebirds ; and two Roseate Cockatoos. One hundred and twenty waterfowl were reared : Carolina ; Marble, Common and Cinnamon Teal ; Chiloe, American and Common Wigeon ; Common Shoveler ; Eider Duck ; and Barnacle Goose. * * * A. W. E. Fletcher points out that there appears to be a difference of opinion concerning the number of eggs laid by the Picazuro Pigeon Columba picazuro. Dr. A. G. Butler, Foreign Birds for Cage and Aviary , II, page 255, writes : “ Gibson says . . . that in six nests which he examined each contained only one egg ; Hudson, on the other hand, declares that two are deposited, which is what one would expect in the case of a Columba .” Fletcher is able to offer some confirmatory evidence that in captivity, at least, the clutch size is one egg only. Last year the pair at Chester Zoo nested three times, and so far this year once. On each of the four occasions a single egg was laid. * ❖ * Jack Hartley, of Clearview, South Australia, has enjoyed remarkable success in breeding Peach-faced Lovebirds. During the past two and a half years he has bred over 130 young ones. Apart from the prolificness of his original two pairs and their progeny the results are the more remarkable in that he has had the seeming temerity to breed on the colony system ! The aviary is 10 feet long, 7 feet high and 6 feet wide. The maximum number of breeding pairs in the aviary has been eight, and the maxi¬ mum number of all ages at any one time sixty-four. Hartley stresses the importance of having plenty of boxes and logs always available, also two or three sheaves of hay on the floor of the flight. The aviary also contains a pair of Black-breasted Quail, which help to turn over the earth floor. * * * Mention in Australian Aviculture that Norman McCance, of Avons- leigh, Victoria, has an Amherst Pheasant cock twenty-one years old prompted an inquiry regarding this bird. Mr. McCance kindly sent me details of its origin. Many years ago the late Mr. Alan Jacques, of Balwyn, Victoria, imported some pure-bred stock from the late George Beever, of Huddersfield. In October, 1941, he gave a setting of eggs to McCance and it was from this that “ Methuselah 5 5 eventuated. He fathered quite a number of youngsters which were sent to friends in New South Wales, where the progeny have won many prizes at the Sydney Royal Show, and last year at the International World Poultry Congress Show won the Silver Rose Bowl Trophy for the Grand Champion Pheasant of the Show. REVIEWS 33 Mr. McCance writes : “By the way, old Jacques who was a Wiltshire man was as famous for longevity in his pheasants as I am now. I saw a Reeves’ cock hobbling around at his place and commented on its age. Jacques said ‘ Yes, he’s pre-war ! ’ This was in 1940-41. I replied that that was nothing remarkable. Jacques said 4 1 mean pre-last war ! ’ He had imported that bird in 1913 and it was twenty-seven years old. All our rare pheasants are generally very long-lived. I got the original pair of Edwards in December, 1936, from Genoa (in exchange for twenty-seven Wallabies, two Wombats and two Sugar-squirrels), and the cock bird lived for seventeen years. My Fireback (Siamese) died last winter aged fifteen ; and my present Edwards pair total twenty-two years, and had one fertile egg last November. The amazing feature of ‘ Methuselah ’ is his virility. He was displaying yesterday to his mate and as he is just through his moult he gave a dazzling performance. He gets regular doses (in c parts per million ’) of salt, iron, magnesium and manganese, and his colouring is superb. Sorry to boast so much about him. People come from N.S.W. and drool over him. All I reared of Amhersts this season, 1962-63, was a trio of his grandchildren.” * * * The foregoing causes one to speculate on the longevity of pheasants. Accessible records appear to be somewhat meagre. J. H. Gurney, “ On the Comparative Ages to which Birds live ” (Ibis, 1899, pages 19-42) gives only two examples : Silver Pheasant r: \ ^ -iS&rZL ‘fp£ i z ,