17 



GREY PARROTvS. 



Sir, — My favourite pet is the Grey Parrot. I often 

 buy one when I can get them for 10/6 or 15/- each, and 

 (luring the last 15 years I have had about a dozen. Alas, 

 most of them soon went to the land from whence no 

 traveller returns, in spite of judicious feeding and every 

 care. But one which I had two years ago from Mr. Cross 

 is still in perfect health and plumage, and has developed 

 into a champion talker, learning fresh words every day. 

 This one has repaid me for all my losses and trouble. 



This year I liave been presented with a young one 

 (quite a baby) by the Mayor of Sierra Leone, who brought 

 it from Africa under his personal care. 



I think it is a much commoner thing for Parrots to 

 lay eggs in cages, than is generally supposed. vSeveral of 

 uiy friends in St. John's Wood have Parrots which laid. 

 I have in m}' collection eggs of the Grey Parrot, Grifiin's 

 Cockatoo, and Rosy Cockatoo. James Storey. 



HOW TO e:NCOURAGE THE BREEDING OF NEW 

 SPECIES. 



Sir, — Considering the nnniber of people who keep, 

 and try to breed, foreign birds, it is strange that a com- 

 paratively small number of species have hitherto been 

 successfully reared in this country. The finches (using 

 the word in its widest sense), are no doubt the easiest to 

 breed, and taking these alone I believe the following list 

 of those which have bred in Britain is almost exhaustive. 

 Green Avadavat, Common Avadavat, African Fire-finch, 

 Cordon Bleu, Lavender P'inch, St. HelenaW^axbill, Aurora 

 Finch, Parrot Finch, Gouldian Finch, Parson Finch, 

 Long-tailed Grass-finch, ^Masked Grass-finch, Diamond 

 Finch, Ribbon Finch, Red-headed Finch, Bicheno's 

 Finch, Cherry Finch, African Silverbill, Chestnut Finch, 

 Java vSparrow, Magpie Mannikin, Bronze IMannikin, 

 Dwarf Finch, Teydean Chaffinch, Desert Trumpeter 

 Bullfinch, Yellow-throated Rock vSparrow, Alario 



