xu 



ledge, the immediate utility of which>- 

 though not so easily understood, is, never- 

 theless, very great on account of the fact 

 that it alone can create the conditions 

 throusch which discoveries of the hiojhest 

 importance become a possibility. 



The practice of keeping birds in cap- 

 tivity dates in India from remote anti- 

 quity. The Vedic literature contains many 

 references to talking birds like Mynahs 

 and Parrots which were regarded as 

 common favourites at the time. Pigeons- 

 were regarded as household birds of good 

 omen. Accounts are available as to the 

 caging of parrots at the time of Alexander 

 the Great's invasion of India. This great 

 warrior took away from here a number 

 of ring-necked parrots which are known 

 to this day as Alexandrine Parrakeets. 

 ^lian informs us that *'in India there 

 were many parrots which were held sacred 

 by the Brahmans because they could imi- 

 tate human speech, and which were there- 

 fore neither killed nor captured by the^ 



