Sea snakes form the rather unusual food of the White-Breasted Sea Eagle, (Haliaëtus leucogaster), of the East Indies, while the strikingly-colored Vulturine Sea Eagle, (Gypohierax angolensis), a native of Africa, feeds on fish, crabs, and the fruit of the oil palm.
THE WILD TURKEY ENCLOSURE, No. 33.
At the northern end of Squirrel Ridge, where the Alligator Walk intersects the Rodent Walk, an ideal quarter of an acre, of oak and hickory trees, underbrush, and bare rock, has been dedicated to the king of game birds.
The Wild Turkey, (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), is a bird of magnificent size and presence, and the splendid metallic luster of his plumage—a mixture of burnished bronze copper, lapis lazuli, and fire opal iridescence—backed up by a great bulk of savory flesh, all combine to make this the finest game bird on earth. It was once fairly abundant throughout the eastern United States, and still is found in Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, Virginia and other southern states as far west as Texas. Three other species of Meleagris are now recognized—one in Florida, one in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, and the fourth in Mexico, extending to western Texas and Arizona.
THE LARGE BIRD-HOUSE, No. 7.
On the northwest quarter of Baird Court stands the largest and the most generously equipped home for perching birds now in existence. This is not an unnecessary boast, but merely a brief statement of a fact which the visitor has a right to know. It was designed on our long-established principle that every captive wild creature is entitled to life, exercise and happiness. Our principle of very large cages, with many birds in each cage, is just the reverse of the views that have prevailed in the older zoological gardens, even down to the present day. To an important extent, the cage equipment of this building represents a new departure. There are many zoologists with experience longer than ours who believe that small birds thrive better and live longer when installed in small cages, with only one or two birds in each.
WILD TURKEY.
The Large Bird-House, specially designed for Passerine birds, was developed on the strength of experiments previously made in the Aquatic-Bird House, and in community cages outside. After three years’ experience with the new building, and a careful tabulation of diseases and death rates within it, we are able to state that this installation is a complete and gratifying success.
The Large Bird-House is an L-shaped building, with an all-glass house in its angle. The main hall extends east and west, and it is 60 feet long by 50 feet wide. This great room contains the foreign song-birds, many tropical doves and pigeons, and such tropical varieties and oddities as the great crowned pigeons, tinamous, toucans, giant king-fishers and hornbills. In the great central flying cage there is perhaps the most remarkable omnium-gatherum of small tropical birds—swimmers, waders, upland game birds and perchers—ever brought together in one cage. The bottom of the L is the Parrots’ Hall, 65×30 feet. It contains the parrots, macaws, cockatoos, and a few other species.