156 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



Parrots are found throughout the warm regions of the 

 world, and a few even in temperate climates ; but there 

 are none wild in Europe, and only one in the United 

 Sta^ es. Only a few kinds are found in India, but many 

 are imported from the Eastern Islands, Australia, and 

 -even South America, and are so well known as to have 

 native names. Parrots, indeed, are the oldest and most 

 universally popular of all pet birds, largely on account of 

 their well-known power of imitating the human voice ; 

 and of late years it has been realized that the smaller 

 species at all events are most admirably suited for 

 aviaries. 



As this work deals only with the birds of the garden 

 ,and aviary, I shall not say anything about the large spe- 

 cies of Parrots Cockatoos, &c., commonly kept in cages ; 

 and in dealing with the aviary birds, I shall be compelled 

 to limit myself to a few easily obtained and particularly 

 desirable species, space not permitting to treat of all the 

 many kinds imported. In keeping and handling Parrots, 

 it must be remembered that they bite like rats, and they 

 must by no means be associated with birds smaller than 

 themselves ; in fact, if their companions are bigger it will 

 be just as well. With birds of their own order they 

 get on fairly well, so that several kinds may be kept 

 together; though not always if they are breeding. 



For breeding accommodation, boxes with a small entrance 

 hole or some other artificial cavity, should be provided- 

 A section of an old log with a chamber hollowed out in it- 

 would be best of all, because most natural. Fortunately 

 they seldom require animal food, so they are very easy to 



