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Show 1868.] OF BIRDS IN THE SOCIETY'S GARDENS. 115 females *. The number of eggs laid by two birds between the 20th of May and the 24th of September was eighty-five; out of this number, upwards of twenty birds were hatched. Many more would have been hatched had it not been for the parent birds, who were guilty of frequently eating the eggs before the young birds had arrived at a perfect state. It was only by removing the eggs to the care of common hens that we succeeded in hatching and rearing sixteen or eighteen young birds. The male bird would take to the eggs when ten or twelve were laid, and after about fifteen days' incubation was found breaking them up and eating the contents, which in many instances were imperfectly developed young. In no instance did the female attempt to incubate. The period of incubation was twenty-one days. The chick (Pl. XII. fig. 1) much resembles the young of a Rhea, and, from its small size, looks and walks about like a little Apteryx; in fact the keepers and others who saw Tinamous for the first time thought they were the young of the former bird. They fed upon worms, chopped meat, boiled eggs, & e Of the several species above mentioned some have bred in the gardens many times ; but as a few of them have bred for the first time, I beg leave to call particular attention to these. Perhaps the most valuable addition to the list is the breeding of the Barred-tailed Pheasant (Phasianus reevesii). It is most remarkable that the birds arrived on the 22nd of June and commenced laying immediately, and four birds were hatched on the 10th of August. Another singular instance of late breeding occurred with a fine pair of imported Versicolor Pheasants, which arrived from Japan on the 27th of July, and three young birds were produced on the 20th of September. These birds were considered useless and not likely to live ; but two of them (hens) are now strong and healthy birds, having perfectly got over their moult during the coldest part of this winter. Of the Crossoptilon or Eared Pheasant of Pailas we have reared nine fine birds, the second hatch, having lost by the gapes the first brood of seven. With reference to this species, I may remark that these birds breed when only one year old. At the first moult the young birds assume the adult plumage, the male and female being exactly alike. They are remarkably hardy, and extremely tame. In concluding, I beg to call attention to m y paper published in the Society's ' Proceedings' for 1862, on the habits and affinities of the Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus). I there gave it as m y opinion that this bird was more nearly allied to Eurypyga than to any other bird. Again, in the Society's 'Proceedings' in January 1866, at pp. 77 and 78, I stated, after speaking of the egg and young bird :- " That Eurypyga is less a Heron than has generally been thought must now be admitted, and the spotted egg and downy young one abundantly shows. I feel, however, certain that this bird has its nearest ally in the Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus), as already stated (see P. Z. S. 1862, p. 218)." Having stated this so long since, it is * The eggs are laid on the ground in a hollow formed by the male bird in the sand or mould. No other nest is made. |
