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troubled with these destructive rodeuts ; but mice would uot so much

matter, and, if they should show themselves in the day time, would

probably form part of the Magpies' food.


Some game-keepers make quite a harvest by the sale of young^

Magpies, and you will probably have no difficulty in obtaining a couple

next month. If you can have a choice out of a nest of j^oung birds, I

should advise 3-ou to pick out the largest and the smallest, providing the

latter is a healthy bird. You would then be most likel}' to have a

true pair. Of course it would not do to keep any small birds with them.


D. SeTh-SmiTh.



THE " IDEAL " PARROT.


Sir, — I have read with interest the description given b}^ the Hon.

and Rev. F. G. Button of the ideal pet Parrot, because I think I may claim

to have been the possessor of a bird which had all the characteristics that

Mr. Button considers essential, size only excepted.


He was an Alexandrine, and as tame as it is possible for a bird to be.

He never refused to go to anj' human being at first sight, and indeed was

never really happy unless sitting on someone's shoulder or wrist. He greatly

preferred men to women, and to some men in particular he showed the most

demonstrative affection, positively refusing to come away from them, and

sometimes flying back when he had been removed from them. He would

allow me to do anything with him, even to putting him in a basin and

washing him ; and he habitually sat on my lap or on my foot, close to the

fire and beside the cat, which animal was devoted to him. He never made

any unpleasant noises, and during nearly three years was never heard to

scream, and never bit anyone. I gave him the name of "Tony," and he

soon knew his name, although for years he had been called " Polly."


As an instance of his intelligence, I may relate that, one evening after

everyone had gone to bed, I heard "Tony" giving the little cry which he

usually made when he wanted attention. As he had never done this before,

I went downstairs to the room where he was, and found that the electric

light had been left on ; I turned it out, and heard no more of " Tony."


The friend who gave him to me had him four years, and for most of

that time he was a great talker, but suddenly left off, and while I had him

he never talked except in hot weather, and when alone out of doors.

During the last year of his life, I trained him to such cleanly habits that I

could safely trust him on anyone without fear of accident, and, indeed,

none ever occurred. "Tony" was the envy and admiration of all my

friends, and his early death is unceasingly regretted by his mistress, who

would not have exchanged him for all the Parrots she has ever seen, or

ever will see.


C. L. Coi,i,iER.



