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A VISIT TO " BROOKLYN."


By the Hon. and Rev. F. 'G. Button.


I was enabled the other day, through the kindness of Mr.

Fulljames, to see his Parrot-room, and, as his collection is a

singularl}^ interesting one, I thought a few words about it might

be welcome to the readers of the Aviculhiral Magazine.


One thing that rather astonished me, in making my

appointment with Mr. Fulljames, was to learn that he was only

at home after 6 p.m. except on Sundays. I knew he bought

largely, but since he could hardly see much of his birds, I was

at a loss to understand what attraction they could have for him.

He met me at Balham station, and as we walked up to his house

I asked him plainly what his interest in the birds was. He told

me quite simply that his object was excellence as a collection.

His interest was exhibiting. As a former exhibitor of fowls

myself, and as one who occasionally shows dogs now, I under-

stood, and could sympathize at once. But it is necessary to say

this that my readers may understand what I could not get from

Mr. Fulljames himself. I could not get much account of the ways

and habits of his Parrots. He devotes himself to their health

and condition, not to the study of their characters. For that

one must go to the lad}^ who keeps house for Mr. Fulljames —

*'for," said he, "it would not be possible for me to keep the birds

I do, unless my housekeeper took a great interest in them."


He ought to have a gold medal for being such a plucky

buyer. Were there a few more able and willing to do as he

does, what rare birds might we not see imported !


But before I went to the living birds, I was shown a case

containing some two hundred stuffed Humming Birds. Cases of

Humming Birds, my readers may say, are not very uncommon.

Perhaps not, but have they ever seen a nest oi young Humming

Birds ? I must confess that I never have. Yet here were two :

one with the young just ready to fly ; the other with young

three or four da5^s old. These latter were rather parchmenty,

owing to the drying up of the tender skin, but one felt that one

knew something appreciably more about Humming Birds after

seeing them.


I was then taken to the room containing the British birds,

but as my object was the Parrots we did not stop there long, but

went upstairs to the Parrot-room. It is not a very large room,

but it would be very difficult to find a collection of rarer Parrots



