THE TUTI 277 



never got beyond its rather plaintive, 

 though musical call-notes". I am quite 

 sure, if Butler had tried more specimens, 

 his verdict would have been different. 

 That was perhaps the first attempt to 

 acclimatise the bird in Enorland and from 

 his account it seems his bird never got 

 on well, and failed to make an impression 

 on him. 



The Tuti is a bird which combines a 

 beautiful body-colour with a fine song. 

 Vocal and artistic charms in the males 

 of many birds have great amatory signifi- 

 cance. But some people are of opinion 

 that birds that possess the one can dis- 

 pense with the other and, therefore, the 

 combination of both those qualities in one 

 bird is scarce in Nature. It has for long 

 passed as an axiom that these two means 

 of attraction are not found in a high or 

 an equal degree united in any bird. But 

 this is a mistake. Leaving aside many 

 other birds that possess a very gaudy 

 plumage with melodious and soul-enchant- 



