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The bird was caught at Hardenogh (prov. Gelderland), and the skin is preserved mounted in the series illustrative of the fauna of Holland in our Society's Museum.

Koninklijk Zoologisch Genootschap,

Natura Artis Magistra,

Amsterdam, June 7, 1890.

Yours &c.,

F. E. BLAAUW.

SIR,—I beg leave to place on record the occurrence of the following birds in Borneo :

Locustella lanceolata (T.). Labuan Island.

Motacilla ocularis, Swinhoe. Baram (C. Hose).
Milvus melanotis, T. & S. Labuan Island.

Calidris arenaria (L.). Baram Point.

All these birds were shot during the N.E. monsoon, and may be looked upon as occasional winter migrants. Referring to Mr. Sharpe's note in the July number of 'The Ibis,' on birds from Penrisen Mountain, in Western Borneo, I may mention that examples of the following highland forms were also obtained there by my native hunter, viz. Myiophoneus borneensis, Criniger ruficrissus, Cryptolopha schwaneri, and Ethopyga temmincki.

41 York Terrace, Regent's Park, July 7, 1890.

Yours &c.,

A. H. EVERETT.

Syrrhaptes paradoxus in Captivity.-Mr. F. E. Blaauw kindly furnishes us with the following particulars in reference to the specimens of Syrrhaptes paradoxus now living in the Gardens of the Royal Zoological Society at Amsterdam :

:

"In the course of the summer of 1888, our Zoological Society received from different quarters (by purchase or presentation) many specimens of Syrrhaptes, alive, for the menagerie, and dead, for the Museum. Most of the living birds came from the island of Texel, where these birds were found in great numbers, and we also got two eggs from the same place. The living birds, twelve in number (four of

which were hens), were placed in an open-air aviary, which had a glass roof, so that the soil always remained dry and sandy. The birds were fed with different kinds of seeds and vegetables, of which last food they are very fond.

"The first spring (1889) of their captivity the birds did not lay any eggs, and in course of time three of the twelve died, so that now (July 1890) only three females and six males remain. At the end of May and beginning of June the hens began to lay, and in all fourteen eggs were laid. As the birds showed no inclination to breed, the eggs were placed in an incubator, and after 28 days four chicks came out. Two of these could not get out of the shell perfectly, and died during the act. The other two came out well, but died after two or three days, refusing to take any food. The other ten eggs were bad or contained dead embryos. As a general remark, I may add that the Syrrhaptes, in a wild state, have completely left this country, as I suppose they have done elsewhere in Western Europe."

[I may add to Mr. Blaauw's remarks that six specimens of Syrrhaptes paradoxus, presented to the Zoological Society of London in 1888 by various donors, and one received in 1889, are now all dead.-ED.]

A Tame Cuckoo*.-At the end of July 1889, being in Suffolk, I was informed by the servants that a strange bird, "like a Hawk,” had been seen at the pantry window, and that it took raw meat chopped up small. I watched for the bird and found a full-grown young Cuckoo, the chief object of its visit being a bush of Pyracanthus japonica, which was covered with the larvæ of Orgyia antiqua, the common vapourer moth. In a day or two the bird had completely cleared the bush, and then shifted its quarters to another bush, similarly infested, on the other side of the house. After clearing this it took up its abode in the front garden, where it perched on the lawn-tennis stop-nets, which are hung up round the lawn, and it occurred to me that I might induce

• From 'Land and Water,' Aug. 17, 1889.

it to feed there, so I procured some lobworms and threw them on the grass.

The bird instantly took them, and now has become quite tame, and will come within a yard or two of me, and, so far, has given no sign of migrating. I have watched carefully, but have never seen any bird attempt to feed it, except in one instance, a Wagtail; but, as the pair of these are accompanied by six young ones, they have not much time to devote to the stranger, who, to a large extent, has shifted for itself. Since I have fed it with worms it seems to have got fat, and if a worm moves near the surface when the dew is on, it goes down and digs it out like a Thrush.

Its favourite position is a pole, which I have put up for it, and sitting on this it much resembles a Hawk, and is mobbed sometimes by Swallows, which it snaps its beak at when they come too close. Several naturalists of repute, including my brother and Mr. Frank Norgate, have witnessed these interesting facts; and we all agree that this is a somewhat new phase in the life-habits of a very mysterious bird, and worthy of record in your columns.-W. H. Tuck, August 12, 1889.

New Breeding Birds in the Trondhjem District.-Prof. Collett, writing from Róros, north of Trondhjem, in Norway, on July 8th, says as follows:-"I am just now in good collecting-ground. Three days ago I found Tringa maritima breeding on the mountains of Trondhjem, close to the Swedish frontier, and to-day I have found here (at Róros) the nests of Tringa temminckii (four eggs) and Otocoris alpestris (fullgrown young ones). The nearest breeding-place hitherto known of these three species is Tromsö and Finmark."

International Ornithological Congress of 1891.-We have received circulars announcing that the " Second International Ornithological Congress" will be held at Budapest at Whitsuntide next year.

Breeding of Falco babylonicus.-Mr. Hume kindly communicates the following note from Lieut. Philott on the

breeding of Falco babylonicus :-"It may interest you to know that a nest of the Red-naped Shahín (Falco babylonicus) was found on the 13th May last in the Gumál Pass, in the Waziri country, about 30 miles from Dera Ismail Khan. The nest was taken by Mr. Donald, Political Officer at Tamleh, and myself. It contained two young ones, a male and a female, which would have left the nest in about a week. I have these birds now in my possession. The nest was found at an elevation of a little over 2000 feet.

"Mr. Hume told me last year that this Falcon would probably be found breeding in the Sulimani range, but that he was not aware that any European had ever found the nest.

"Mr. Donald also shot an adult female of this Falcon near Fort Munro about two years ago during the hot weather, and I have seen others near Bahkri and Kingri, in Balnchistan, during the same season. Last year a native falconer near Jhelum had two of these birds, which were said to have been taken in the salt-range."-(D. C. PHILOTT, Lieut. 3rd Punjab Cavalry: Dera Ismail Khan, July 3rd, 1890.)

The Gätke Collection.—Ornithologists will be much pleased to hear that Mr. Seebohm has purchased the celebrated BirdCollection of Herr Gätke, of Heligoland, with the intention of presenting it to the British Museum. The collection, which is said to contain upwards of a thousand specimen,, referable to 396 species, is expected to arrive in England in October. The specimens, which were all captured in this wonderful little ornithological paradise, are mounted. They will be arranged and exhibited in one series in the Natural History Museum. We are informed that Herr Gätke's extensive notes on the Birds of Heligoland are now actually in the press, and that an English edition of this long-expected work will also be published.

Obituary.-WILLIAM KITCHEN PARKER, who died suddenly at Cardiff on the 3rd of July last, at the age of 67 years, was not an Ornithologist in the ordinary sense of the term, but has rendered such services in advancing our

special science as may well claim a few lines of acknowledgment in this Journal. Born in Northamptonshire in 1823, Parker passed the early years of his life as apprentice to a chemist and druggist, and showed his taste for natural history by collecting plants, keeping pet animals, and preparing skeletons. In 1844-46 he was a student at King's College, London, and became demonstrator to Dr. Todd and Sir William Bowman. Having qualified for practice, he commenced his medical career at Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, in 1849, and soon made himself known amongst the men of science of the metropolis by his laborious investigations, especially in microscopic work. The Foraminifera, both recent and fossil, were selected as special objects of study, and a series of excellent memoirs, partly written in conjunction with Prof. Rupert Jones and other fellow workers, were prepared by him on this subject. These were followed by a series of original and most elaborate investigations on the osteology of different groups of Vertebrates that have made his name ever famous. Parker was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1865, and received a well-earned Royal Medal in 1866. In 1873 he was appointed Hunterian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons, and held that post until 1884. Parker's principal ornithological memoirs are:On the Osteology of Baleniceps rex (Trans. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 269); On the Osteology of Gallinaceous Birds and Tinamous (Trans. Zool. Soc. v. p. 149); On some Fossil Birds from the Zebbug Cave, Malta (Trans. Zool. Soc. vi. p. 119); On the Osteology of the Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus) (Trans. Zool. Soc. vi. p. 501); On Ægithognathous Birds: Part I. (Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 289), Part II. (ibid. x. p. 251); On the Osteology of Microglossa alecto (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 235); On the Systematic Position of the Crested Screamer (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 511); Remarks on the Skeleton of the Archæopteryx (Geol. Mag. 1864, p. 55); On the structure and development of the Skull of the Ostrich Tribe (Phil. Trans. 1866, p. 113); On the structure and development of the Skull of the Common Fowl (Phil. Trans. 1869, p. 755) ; On the structure and development of the Crow's Skull

SER. VI.-VOL. II.

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