130



CORRESPONDENCE.



THE UVvEAN PARRAKEET.


Sir, —Did any members of the Avicultural Society have any of the

recently-imported Nytnphicus uvceensis ? If so, have they been successful in

keeping them alive, and how have they fed them ?


I had seven—two on Feb. 17, and five on the 18th. One was an old

one, and six were young. One of the young ones was ill when it arrived,

and died in a day or two. Then one of the first pair fell ill and died, and

was quickly followed by the old one. The Prosector of the Zoo dissected

the young one ; Sir Everett Millais the old one. The organs were healthy,

but the lower bowel of the old one was congested. The four remaining

ones seemed healthy, but I soon saw one was failing: it died, and I have

not had the report on that. Then the three remaining ones began to eat

less, and the strongest fell ill. It died, and dissection revealed that the

liver was out of order.


Two are still alive, but they have ceased to feed well, and I daresay

will follow the others.


I am persuaded it is a food difficulty. I was told they had been

brought over on paddy, hemp, canary, and monkey nuts. I have tried

bananas and grapes: they were not approved of. I have given millet,

hemp, canary, boiled rice, boiled Indian corn, bread and milk, sponge cake,

pea nuts, and chilies; everything is eaten eagerly at first: the ones that

were the first to succumb eating seed till almost the very last. But

these later ones refuse food—though one of them likes to have bits of bread

and milk given it occasionally.


I asked Mr. Bartlett to advise me ; but he said they had bought two

at the Zoo, and both were looking ill. He could not find anything that

would do. Does anyone know what they eat in New Caledonia ?*


I have always thought them attractive birds, and wished to breed

them; but I do not appear to be likely to attain my desire.


F. G. Dutton.



7'he following reply was sent to the Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton :—


I have not had my Uvaean Parrakeet long, so cannot be sure of its

proper treatment; I will briefly relate my little experiences.


I obtained a pair on February 12—but the male (which was sick when

I received it) died in a few days. The female is strong and clever on the

wing, runs actively about, has become fairly (comparatively) tight in

plumage, and seems pretty well established. She is as tame as a kitten ;

flies on to our heads, arms, anywhere, and calls out to me if she hears my

voice in the house.


For standard food she has canary, hemp, crumbled biscuit (dry), and

date or fig cut into small pieces; she has also had millet and oats, but took

them only occasionally. Now and then she is treated to a sound banana

{not peeled), and sometimes she will attack half an orange. The great

difficulty with her has been to relieve her great craving for grit, and to

get her digestive arrangements into order without having a block or



* It is N. comatus that comes from New Caledonia. N. uvceensis comes from the

island of Uvea.—R.P.



