174 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



Superlatives having been wrung from a seasoned 

 scientist, who saw only lifeless specimens of the 

 "most lovely" bird, what was to be expected from 

 those persons fortunate enough to know it in life? 

 But, strangely enough, little was written about the 

 species until the 'eighties. By that time, apparently, 

 large numbers of Gould's "beautiful" Parrot had 

 been sent abroad for aviaries, and had become 

 known to the bird-dealers of Britain and the Con- 

 tinent under the name of Paradise Parrot. 



What a degree of popularity the shapely little 

 Australian enjoyed (!) is made evident by Dr. W. T. 

 Greene, M.A., in his finely-illustrated book, Par- 

 rots in Captivity, published in London in 1884, and 

 now little known in Australia. After describing the 

 "Beautiful or Paradise Parrot" as more lovely, if 

 possible, than the Many-colored Parrot, also of Aus- 

 tralia, the writer says: "No one can see it without 

 desiring to possess so beautiful and graceful a bird, 

 and large sums are constantly being paid for hand- 

 some specimens by amateurs; but, alas! one in a 

 dozen survives a few months and dies suddenly in 

 a fit one day." 



Further, the Rev. F. G. Dutton, a correspondent 

 of Greene's, improves on his colleague's tribute by 

 saying roundly : "Psephotus pulcherrimus, the Para- 

 dise Paroquet, as the dealers call it, is not only the 

 most beautiful Psephotus, as its name says, but 

 surely the most beautiful Paroquet that exists. The 

 vivid emerald green and carmine of the cock, beauti- 

 fully contrasted with the grey of the rest of the 

 plumage, make him 'a joy for ever/ " 



