204 Tke History of the Budgerigar. 



are other successes which I have overlooked or which have 

 never been reported. Both the Green and the Yellows soon 

 got past the stage of shy-breeding, etc.; it only seems right 

 that thi^ new variety should follow in their steps, notwith- 

 standing the fact that its requirements seem somewhat un- 

 natural. 



On its actual origin it will be seen that I have been 

 able to throw very little light, and it really appears as jif 

 nothmg very 'definite is now known, or at any rate published, 

 on this point. The question, which one would specially wish 

 to have answered, i.e. whether the present day birds are direct 

 descendants of those known before the eighties or not. is one 

 on which our informants arc silent. 



Over che history of this feathered gem I fain would 

 linger, but having been always strongly of opinion that one 

 may bore a reader with impunity for, say, half an hour, but 

 that it is unwise to presume on his forbearance too much, 

 and expect him put up with an unlimited number of pages, I 

 will make a move towards an end, but must just refer (even 

 at the risk of the metaphoric boot) to one other little point 

 of interest in connection with the general history of the 

 Budgerigar. 



This is (the question; was the common charge laid a- 

 gainst dealers, in the days when cocks largely exceeded the hens 

 in number, a true one or not? They were accused of burning 

 with caustic the ceres of a certain number of cocks, to 

 change the tell-tale blue to the brown proper to the opposite 

 sex, in order to sell them as such. Gedney and other writers 

 make statements to this effect, but Dr. Greene appears for 

 the defence, saying (The Amateur's Aviary) that the story is 

 unworthy of credit and quite devoid of foundation. He 

 appears to be almost alone on this side, and at any rate the 

 story was very commonly believed, whether true or not. 



While on the question of sex, t^wo delightful pieces of 

 advice as to distinguish these, lure me to quote again. The 

 tirst I 'find in Gedney 's Foreign Cage Birds, Fart I. p. 20, 

 and runs thus : 



" A;s a test of sex, put the birds one by one into a small travelling cage, 

 " and make believe to catch them. The males will all cry out, keeping 



