on Barraband’s Parrakeets ,



71



ophthalmia. Both maladies come on quite suddenly, and none

of the remedies recommended to me by the most experienced

aviculturists and veterinary surgeons have proved of the slightest

use, even when tried for months. The best preventative is,

I think, to give plenty of fruit and sprouting oats and not much

hemp.


I have kept Barrabands for many years, and two pairs I

obtained at the dispersal of M. Pauwel’s collection are still alive

and well. It is only recently, however, that I have succeeded in

breeding them. Previous to 1917 all the eggs laid were unfertile,

owing to the birds being allowed insufficient dying exercise during

the winter. Last year, however, a young bird was hatched by each

of the two pairs that went to nest and one was reared, hut

unfortunately it died the following June. This year two more

were reared, two others being accidentally crushed by the parents

owing to the nest-boxes provided being much too small.


I never ventured to risk an experiment with Barrabands at

liberty until this summer. A hen purchased in 1915 went partly

paralysed in the legs early in the spring; she could still perch

on a thick branch and cling to wire-netting, but had no power

of grasping with her hind toes and walked about on her tarsi.

Being useless for breeding, I decided, rather than destroy her, to

turn her loose on the chance of her staying and being able to get

about and enjoy life in spite of her infirmity. About the same time

I bought a cock who was fairly tame and steady, and turned him

into a garden aviary occupied by a hen Crimson-Wing, also a new

arrival. I was a little doubtful as to how the two birds would

agree as they had both been kept for some years in Parrot cages,

and the Crimson-Wing was very fond of human company. When

first introduced neither knew quite what to make of the other, and

each was a little afraid ; hut there was no hostility, and excellent

relations were maintained during the brief period they spent

together. One evening I brought the hen Barraband to the aviary

in her cage. She and the cock seemed more interested in each

other than I expected, and when I released her she flew on to the

top of the aviary. The following day she was still about, spending

nearly all her time on the aviary, and only leaving it for a tree



