Correspondence.



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attention to tlie feeding of finches, is—that if they are fed constantly upon

a mixture containing this seed, they invariably sicken and die early.


A. G. Butter.


GREY PARROT IN TROUBLE.


Sir, — I have a young Grey Parrot, supposed to have been brought to

En"land last March. He is clean moulted, tail just showing; eyes just

turning yellow since here; eats with relish white bread soaked in tea, or

milk that has been scalded. He will not touch anything else, with the

exception of Parrot maize, and that I do not think he eats; he seems only

to powder it up, as I find almost the same amount of powder as there was

maize given him (that is only when I have withheld the bread to see if I

cannot make him eat corn or otherwise). He always has a tin of mixed

seed and a tin of maize in his cage, also grit. We have tried him all ways

to eat fruit of all kinds, also nuts, but he will not touch them ; he will take

a small piece of orange, and that is all.


He sits on his perch all day without moving, unless made to come to

the bottom of the cage for his food. His head feathers are almost ahvays

erect, and he looks a perfect picture of misery. He utters no sound, only

when he sees his food (the soaked bread) he squeaks once or twice. Up to

a day or two ago he used to make a horrible row whenever I went near his

cage, but he has stopped that now ; it seems too much trouble for him to

move, he sleeps nearly all day, and I think he gets thinner.


I had him in a small cage, as I-thought being a young bird he would

be better, but have removed him into a large cage to see if it w r ould make

him better, but no good. When he evacuates he does so with a squeaking

noise, and mostly his evacuations are frothy when first passed. He wakes

up and cleans himself now and again, but in a way that appears a great

trouble for him to even do that. Thinking it was his liver, we have given

him a few drops of aconite and mercurium in his chilled water. He has

been here since December 8th.


Can you tell me what is the matter with him, and what I can give

him ? He looks (when his feathers are done properly, which is not often)

quite well, and a rather nice looking bird. Hy. J. Bull.


P.S.—I might say he is in the same room as my other birds : an

Amazon, African Grey and Yellow Crested Cockatoo; and my wife is in and

out all day, so it is not as if he were by himself. —H. B.


The following reply has been sent lo Mr. Bull:


You are feeding your bird most improperly, and if you continue the

treatment you will most certainly lose it before long.


The larger parrots, and in fact all but the Lories, Lorikeets, and one

or two others, are naturally extremely dry feeders : they drink water only,



