93


pair of Slender- bills, so often winners at the Palace, were

apparently entered in error in this class. The first prize was not

awarded ; second went to Mr. Housden's large Sulphur-crest,

and third to the lyondon Fanciens' Association for a Rose-breast.


The Class for " Any other variety of Cockatoo " was

much better filled — lo entries. Mr. Fulljames took first for a

pair of Gangas, claimed at the catalogue price of ;^2o. They

were by no means in full plumage. Second went to Mr. Martin's

cock Leadbeater, a very fair specimen ; and third to Mr.

Maxwell's Ganga : a pair was entered, but only one was in the

cage. It is curious that after some interval there seem lately to

have been several importations of this species.


The cheap class contained some good specimens and

pairs of well-known species, but, as might be expected, nothing

very rare.


CORRESPONDENCE.



PARROT NOTES.


Sir,— I have thought that a few notes, disjointed as they will

necessarily be, in reply to various items in the Magazine for December,

may be of interest.


Firstly, with regard to the Hon. and Rev. F. G. Button's ideal of a

Parrot pet, I fear his qualifications will never be realized in an individual bird.

In respect of size, of course the only Parrots which would comply with the

first of Mr. Button's conditions would be the Pigmy Parrots. Of these I

have two species — the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot {Loriculus galgidus)z.\\^

the Golden-crowned Hanging Parrot {Lorkulus asiaticns). (a) Both species

are very beautiful, and the latter I believe to be exceedingly rare, although

I myself have five specimens. Both sorts are niess}-, stupid {b), and do not

talk. They do not scream, but they are certainly not tame. They hano- in

clusters from the top of a "waggon " cage, and the wall on which the cage

is hung shows disagreeable evidence of their presence, (c)


My own pet, among a collection of more than forty Parrots of

different species, is the Bronze-winged Parrot [Piomis chalcopteru.s). It will

scarcely be true to say that it does not scream, but its " scream " is a very

tiny one, and not at all offensive. Neither does it talk — (I am writing only

of my own bird, as it is not easy to speak generally of birds so rare as the

Bronze-winged Parrot). In tameness it is far and away the pink of the

collection. It positivel}- loves to be " made a fuss of," and when I have it


(a) L. iiidicus — the coninioii Ceylonese. — R. P.

{b) Not if allowed liberty.— R. P.


(c) Mr. Fulljames' use of the term "Pigmy Parrots," to denote the Loiiculi or

Hanging Parrots, is to be deprecated. The true Pigmy Parrots are the Nasitemce, which

constitute the subfamily Nasiier?tin<B, and are, I believe, practically unknown as ca"e-

l)irds. The Hanging Parrots belong to the subfamily Palceornithince, and are much more

nearly akin to the true I,ove Birds. — Ed.



