| OCR Text |
Show 1874.] LETTER FROM REV. S. J. WHITMEE. 183 sondaicus, Rh. lasiotis (belonging to the Asiatic series), and Rh. bi-cornis (belonging to the African). A drawing of this interesting animal by M r . Wolf was exhibited (Plate XXVIII.) ; and the differences which distinguish it from Rh. unicornis were pointed out*. The following letter addressed to the Secretary by the Rev. S. J. Whitmee, C.M.Z.S., and dated Samoa, South Pacific, Dec. 12th, 1873, was read :- " I a m sending to Sydney a Didunculus strigirostris and two Curlews (Numenius, sp.) to be forwarded to London for the Zoological Society. The Curlews are from Quiros Island, in lat. 11° 2' S., and long. 171° W . The bird is occasionally seen in Samoa. " The Didunculus is a young bird which I purchased in June last. It was then just from the nest and unfledged. It must have been hatched in May. This proves the breeding-season to be earlier in the year than I previously thought it was. 1 once procured an unfledged bird in September and I have seen several young ones about September and October; so we may safely regard the breeding-season as extending from M a y to September. " W e fed the Didunculus for more than a month by placing small pieces of bread-fruit, taro, bread, &c. in its mouth, which was always open for the reception of contributions when any one was near it. In a little more than a month it began to peck for itself. It is now almost an omnivorous feeder. The first plumage was a mottled brown, almost black. The teeth in the bill were scarcely perceptible. The bird looked so little like the adult Didunculus when I bought it that it was pronounced by some gentlemen on board one of H . M . men-of-war which was in port, and also by some residents here, to be a different bird. This was fortunate for m e ; for it was taken to the said naval zoologists before it was offered to me, in the hope of getting a higher price from them than I would give. " The plumage, legs, and beak of the bird are now assuming the colours of the adult state. But I think they will not be fully developed until the bird is a year old ; for I previously kept one ten months from the nest, and it was not then perfectly developed. I believe the bird I now have is a male. It is exceedingly savage. W h e n any one approaches its cage it ruffles its feathers, trembles apparently with rage, and tries to bite. If he gets hold of one's finger I know from experience that he gives a severe gripe. The one I previously kept was just as savage. This one is in a cage alone : that was in a large aviary with a number of other birds, and he was lord of the place-would only allow them to feed when he had finished, and drove them about in a very savage manner. * The lateral shoulder-fold in B. sondaicus is continued upwards over the back of the neck, so as to cut off an independent shield which covers the nape of the neck and is shaped something like a saddle. In B. unicornis this nape-shield is continuous with the larger shield which covers the shoulders, the lateral shoulder-fold being lost on the upper part of the scapula. B. sondaicus is also much inferior in size to B. unicornis, and has a much longer extensile upper lip. |
