THE



345



Bxucultural flfoagasine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICU LTURAL SOCIETY.



New Series. —VOL. I. —No. 11 .—All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1903.



THE RACKET-TAILED PARROT.


Prioniturus platurus (Vieill.).


In his “Hand-list” of Birds, Dr. Sharpe enumerates ten

species of Racket-tailed Parrots, but the subject of the coloured

plate which accompanies this, is the only one, so far as I am

aware, that has been brought alive to Europe, although I am

informed that a member of this Society is privately importing

some Racket-tails from the Philippines, which may prove to be

either P. discursus or P. luconensisP


When, in the summer of last year, a specimen of the

Racket-tailed Parrot arrived at the Zoological Gardens, the

Executive Committee of this Society decided that a drawing

should be made, and a coloured plate presented, in due course, to

the members.


At page 262 of the last volume of this journal, Mr. E. W.

Harper, who brought the first example of P. platurus to this

country, gave a very interesting account of the bird, to which

our members are referred. He fed it as he would have fed an

African Grey Parrot, namely, “on canary seed, hemp, dari, rice

in husk, and millet. It was particularly fond of canary seed.

A bit of dry biscuit, toast, or crust of bread was always relished ;

as were also fruit, such as banana or orange, and a little lettuce

now and then.”


O11 arrival at the Zoological Gardens this bird was in good

condition, though the spatules of the tail had been broken off.

It would have been extremely interesting to have watched the



I am informed that all died on the voyage.—D. S.-S.



