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Houses, walks and fences have been repaired and kept in order as usual.
The decorative resources of the Department were fully developed at the time of the visit of T.R.H. the Duke and Duchess of Connaught when 1,100 palms were used for lining the roadway and for other purposes.
I am glad to observe the appreciation shown by Horticulturists for Mr. TUTCHER'S "Notes on Gardening" not only in Hongkong but also in neighbouring ports.
Birds. With a view to encouraging the increase of singing birds which have been so charmning a feature of the Botanic Gardens and surrounding portions of Hongkong of recent years the Government consulted Mr. KERSHAW of Macao, whose works on local natural history are well known, as to the desirability of keeping down the numbers of (a) Magpies, (6) Bromley Kites, (c) Civet cats in the Island, and secondly of the possibility of importing more singing birds. He replied as follows:--
"(A.) Magpies are no doubt too numerous here, and destroy eggs and nestlings, though they do a certain amount of good by scavenging. Would suggest shooting, not poison. Destroying Magpies' eggs and fledglings from February to May (a few begin laying in January) inclusive would be effective, though of course there will be some amount of immigration from the mainland.
(B.) This Kite (Milvus melanotes), called "Bromley Kite" in Hongkong, rarely if ever kills adult birds and probably very seldom destroys nestlings. Their ordinary food is snakes, lizards, rats and mice (I have often taken freshly killed rats from stomachs of these kites), dead fish and other offal. Small birds take no notice of a kite settling on the tree they are in, but if a hawk comes anywhere near they drop like stones to the undergrowth. The kite here is decidedly useful.
(C.) It seems a pity to exterminate an indigenous mammal like the Civet. In a
small island like Hongkong, this would soon be done if a reward was offered for the carcase. They destroy some birds, no doubt, but chiefly feed (as observed in comment) on rats, mice and other small mammals. If they are destroyed, poaching domestic cats should certainly be killed, as they are worse than any other animal as regards destruction of small birds and game chicks and nearly all cats in houses on outskirts of wood are poachers. But in any case I would deprecate the use of poison.
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No doubt the Пlwamei (Trochalopterum canorum) is increasing in Hong- kong, as his singing is most noticeable. This bird commands a good price with Chinese as a cagebird, and its increase might perhaps be best maintained by stopping the taking of the nestlings."
With reference to singing birds he wrote:-
"Singing birds from South and West China and from India should do well in Hongkong. I have no books on Indian birds by me, but you may have Oates', Blandford's or Jerdon's in the Club Library. At Hongkong I think Indian birds could be got from Calcutta, but expect it would be troublesome to get Chinese birds, unless the birdshop people in Hongkong would import them. The Hwamei is native here, and as long as it has enough undergrowth (for it is very shy and seldom seen even when singing loudly quite close to one) and the nests are not taken, it should increase. It sings delightfully and practically all the year round, but you probably know it well as a cagebird with Chinese. Also the little black and white Copsychus saularis or Magpie- Robin, Pezing-Robin or China Robin, as it is variously termed. In the spring it sings beautifully and is common and native; also useful in keeping down grasshoppers, snails, etc., as also is the Hamei. Most of the other birds here do not shine as songsters, though the Whistling Thrush (Myiophoneus) sings sweetly in breeding season. Many Flycatchers stay a short time in Hong- kong on migration in spring and autumn, which sing well, but they are silent during their stay here.