184 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



Then, to avoid any unnecessary "pottering" about 

 the nest, he erected his cube-shaped tent at home, all 

 in one piece, so that it was set up in a few minutes 

 by slipping it down over four stakes, erected in 

 position. Thus, the birds showed little, if any, re- 

 sentment of the intrusion, and home-keeping pro- 

 ceeded smoothly. 



Ultimately, however, there came a day when the 

 male Paradise Parrot visited the mound with his 

 usual confidence; but when he stood looking in the 

 hole with one eye, Parrot-wise, and chirping softly 

 perhaps inquiringly there was an almost comi- 

 cal suggestion of perplexity in his manner. This 

 was heightened by the dejected look of his mate, 

 who sat for some time on top of the mound, but did 

 not enter, as she had always done before. It was 

 quite plain that the kingly bird was sorely puzzled 

 by the failure of his family hopes, and that the poor 

 little wife, on her part, took the disappointment 

 doubly to heart in that aspersions seemed to be cast 

 on her maternal qualifications! 



Here, then, a remarkable situation is suggested. 

 It does not follow, from the observations and 

 theories recorded in the two foregoing paragraphs, 

 that the "stay-at-home" proclivities of the Paradise 

 Parrots have been an original factor in reducing 

 their numbers, but it does appear probable that the 

 beautiful birds have been reduced to a point where 

 natural increase has become warped a point at 

 which they are, as it were, exterminating them- 

 selves! 



In the course of the search for the miss- 

 ing Parrot, it became evident that the name 



