The Budgerigar. 101 



thing about the weight of the birds in gold to gratify my 

 fancy. 



The birds, however, which my friend the purser brought 

 over were not the bright green creatures I had seen in Vic- 

 toria, but were natives of South Australia, where the settlers 

 called them ''Shell Parrots", or Parrakeets, and the aborigines 

 ''Budgerigars", which is now their popular designation in this 

 country, although the Zoological Society, and the various 

 "bird- shows" throughout the kingdom, persist in calling them 

 "Undulated Grass Parrakeets." Although, as I have said, 

 these birds are natives of the province of South Australia, I 

 have nevertheless seen them in Victoria, two or three together, 

 but suspect that these were stragglers from beyond their 

 natural limits, or perhaps fortunate individuals who had made 

 good their escape from captivity. 



At one time these birds commanded as high a price as two 

 or three pounds sterling a pair in the bird-market, while Dr. 

 Russ, I know not on what authority, affirms that the first 

 pair brought to England were immediately sold for £25 : which 

 reminds me that when, many years ago, I landed on the wharf, 

 Haleigh's wharf in Melbourne, with a cage containing a pair 

 of common Canaries in my hand, I had not proceeded half a 

 dozen paces on my way when I was accosted by a man who 

 offered me £10 for the lot, and on my declining his proposal, 

 doubled his ojffer, which I was silly enough to refuse. But 

 to resume, this first "pair" of Budgerigars were two males 

 in all probability, for they made no attempt, that Dr. Buss 

 ever heard of, to breed. After a while the price came down, 

 and when it reached fifteen shillings a pair, I made my first 

 investment: however, I have already related elsewhere my 

 experience with these birds, and must not repeat myself. 



The Budgerigar, Undulated, or Shell Parrot, or Parrakeet, 

 Melospittacus undulatus in scientific parlance, la Ferruche on- 

 duUe of the French, der Wellensittich of the Germans, is now 

 almost as well known as the Canary, and as cheap, cheaper 



