Locality for Brookite — Death of Parrots. 293 



Thinking the above might be interesting to some of your 

 numerous readers, (if thought worthy of insertion), I have ta- 

 ken the liberty of forwarding it, the bird being in my posses- 

 sion. — Ipswich, February, 1838. — T. Townsend. 



Locality for Brookite. — This extremely beautiful and rare 

 mineral is generally supposed to be one of the productions of 

 Snowdon ; but the true locality of it is on the road side be- 

 tween Beddgelert and Tremaddoc, Carnarvonshire, about 8 

 miles from Snowdon. It there occurs in large and distinct 

 crystals, many of which are transparent, accompanied by 

 Rock-crystal and Cleavelandite, in cavities and adhering to 

 the walls of a very large irregular vein of quartz in a some- 

 what slaty grauwacke rock. I have found two crystals of 

 anatase in the same vein. — G. B. Sowerby. 



Probable cause of the Death of Parrots, and other Birds 

 confined in Cages. — A cockatoo having died suddenly during 

 the night, I was solicited to examine it, for the purpose of 

 exculpating certain individuals who were suspected of having 

 administered some deleterious substance in order that they 

 might not be further annoyed by its noises and screechings. 



Having opened and inspected several other organs, my at- 

 tention was directed to the gizzard, on account of its extreme 

 solidity and apparent repletion. Upon making an incision in 

 it, I observed it to be full of small pieces of brass and iron 

 wire, variously twisted, with five small pebbles, about the size 

 of peas. I then made an enquiry relative to the state of the 

 bird's health, when it appeared that for some time past it had 

 shewn symptoms of disease, and had not touched any thing 

 in the shape of food for ten days together ; in the mean time 

 sickness and disease were produced, owing, without doubt, to 

 the wire acting as a poison. On further enquiry I ascertained 

 that neither sand, gravel, nor similar articles necessary for the 

 trituration of the food in the gizzard, had been placed in the 

 cage. Judging from the smooth and rounded appearance of 

 the pebbles, I have not the slightest hesitation in saying that 

 they had been in the gizzard ever since last summer, (a peri- 

 od of at least seven months). Upon closely examining the 

 gizzard, its internal surface was found to be much corroded, 

 and of a dark green and brownish colour ; it was also thick- 

 ened in some parts to the extent of 4|- lines. The cellular 

 structure at the opening was much inflamed and corroded, 

 and in some parts entirely destroyed by the acridity produced 

 by the metal. 



Had gravel or sand been placed in the cage instead of ma- 

 hogany saw-dust, the life of the bird would undoutedly have 



