Undulated Grass Parrakeet. 433 



Bird-catchers have no difficulty when in the midst of these migrating flocks in capturing large 

 numbers. But then in one week they take nothing but males, a few weeks later mostly females, 

 and thus it happens that sometimes large shipments consist mostly of one sex. 



As already stated, the first work mentioning these birds was published in 1794. 

 Mr. Gould brought the first pair of live Undulated Grass Parrakeets to England in the year 

 1840. Between 1840 and 1850 a pair of these little birds were worth ;^20 or ^^25. About 

 the years 1850 to 1855 a pair would cost about ^j^ 5. Between 1855 and 1858 larger numbers 

 of Undulated Parrakeets reached Europe, and their price sank to a couple of sovereigns. 

 Within the last five years the importation of this one species of Parrakeet has increased 

 enormously. About three years ago they could be had in London for about seven shillings 

 per pair, but drought in Australia, and dearth of canary-seed combined, stopped the 

 supplies for a season, and their price rose again to twenty-five and even thirty-five shillings 

 per pair. Previous importations, however, had stocked so many aviaries, and the prices then 

 obtainable were such an incentive to cage-breeding, that Dr. Russ estimates from 10,000 to 

 25,000 Undulated Grass Parrakeets to be now bred annually in Europe. A few years ago 

 I have myself seen an aviary in Belgium where from 500 to 800 Budgerigars had been bred 

 every year in one enclosure. 



The largest importation of Undulated Parrakeets which ever took place was that from 

 January to July, 1879. One ship, the Hesperus, brought as many as 4,000 pairs, say 8,000 

 Undulated Parrakeets, safely and alive to London, and one London dealer sold in four months 

 14,800 pairs of these birds. The total importation of Budgerigars in London was, in the 

 first six months of 1879, over 50,000 pairs, and they all found buyers. Prices certainly declined, 

 until a dozen birds could be bought retail for a guinea, and captains of Australian ships sold 

 wholesale at one shilling, and even for less, per pair. 



In the year 1862 the first specimen of this Parrakeet was deposited in the Zoological 

 Gardens, and in 1879 this bird is nearly as common a cage-bird as the Canary. And a most 

 charming creature the little chattering, chirping, nimble, bright-green fellow is. If we look 

 closely at his plumage we find the yellow markings and black pencilling most delicate and of 

 rare beauty. And if an Undulated Parrakeet should happen to escape us, the pretty sight 

 of seeing his graceful flight from tree to tree almost reconciles us to the loss of the bird. 



Surely no other cage-bird is equally frugal as the Budgerigar. A little canary-seed 

 is all he requires, and even the accidental absence of water will not inconvenience him 

 in the least. The organism of these birds is adapted to live in the oftentimes waterless 

 plains of Australia. Thousands of Undulated Grass Parrakeets are brought to Europe 

 annually without receiving a drop of water during the three or four months' voyage, and, 

 strange to say, fewer birds die on the voyage when kept without water, than of those which 

 are supplied with water. After arrival the case may be different ; and I more than suspect 

 that of those birds who have made the voyage from Australia to England without tasting 

 water, a good many die soon after arrival. It cannot be natural that a bird should live 

 very long on hard, dry seed without any moisture whatever ; and though his organism may 

 be so arranged that he can endure dry food without water for some time, yet a permanent 

 existence under such conditions can scarcely be possible. 



From one hundred to five hundred Undulated Parrakeets are put, in Australia, into an old 



packing-case provided with a shelving row of perches, and over one side of the case wire netting 



is nailed. It stands to reason that the water-supply in these crowded cages would become 



very dirty, and that no water at all may be safer during the voyage than contaminated 



55 



