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Allen Silver—A West Country Collection



desire to bite somebody. He repeats several words and sentences,

barks, and utters a most disagreeable screech which may be the natural

call, but I am inclined to think has been learned from a Parrot or

Macaw. This summer I decided to give Georgie his liberty, hoping to

rejuvenate him and increase his stamina. So far the experiment has

been a success ; he has conducted himself sensibly, and seems to be

improving in health. He flies heavily and only for short distances ;

he is timid with other birds, and allows smaller Parrakeets to bully

him. When walking he moves in an alert but rather furtive manner,

recalling a Pheasant, and there is none of the ordinary Parrot waddle

in his gait. His food consists of the usual seed mixture with soft fruit

and peanuts, of both of which he is very fond. My other Pyrrhulopsis

is a “ Red Shining ”—a lovely bird and very active ; he is vicious with

human beings, but as far as I have been able to judge more amiable

with other Parrakeets. I hope to mate him with a Sula Island

Aprosmictus and breed some lovely and unique hybrids.



A WEST COUNTRY COLLECTION


By Allen Silver


Quite one of the nicest indoor collections I have seen is that belonging

to our member, Mrs. Burgess, of Helston House, Clifton. At the

invitation of this lady I recently made a special visit, and was struck

by the excellent appointments of her bird room. This room has a central

range of twelve aviaries, each measuring about 12 by 8 by 6 feet,

made with wood framework zinced and kept separate with frosted glass.

The entire bird-room floor was covered with a galvanized sheet to prevent

mice, and additional flight and Parrot cages were arranged round the

walls, leaving a walking space round the room for visitors. The whole,

with feeding-stuff annexe, gives the owner scope for keeping all sorts of

things, whether it be a collection of small birds, breeding pairs of larger

birds, or collections of middle-sized species, augmented by Parrots in

cages. Mrs. Burgess possesses quite one of the largest and healthiest

collections of Blue Budgerigars I have seen, and a large batch of Olive

Budgerigars and Bluebred Greens. Among other Parrot-like birds



