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any rate one of them quickly mounted the tree and produced

six young ones from a hollow in the bend of a branch 20 feet

above the ground. There was the greatest difference imaginable

in their sizes, some being almost feathered while others were

only about half the size and scarcely a feather showing. They

were quite willing at once to feed on masticated banana from the

Indian’s mouths. The yellow on the forehead was already con¬

spicuous in those that were most feathered. I brought a pair

from this nest home with me, and still have them in perfect

health. I didn’t trouble to feed mine from the mouth, for small

as they were, I found they would eat the banana readily by

themselves, and would eat all day long if they were kept supplied

with fruit. This diet they lived on solely, until we almost

reached England. I had, however, laid in a small stock of

Canary seed in Para, in case my bananas gave out on the way,

which they did, a day or two before we reached Madeira. I

found, however, they took as readily to the seed as if they had

never fed on anything else. They seem perfectly hardy, and

don’t mind cold in the least, but they are just a trifle noisy;

probably with mine it is because they are in a room with a lot of

noisy birds, and when one starts they all seem to think they

must add to the din. I believe they could with ease be taught

to speak, because mine imitate all sorts of sounds, and the notes

of many birds, so that they constantly deceive us in this way.

I have a pair of Golden-backed Trumpeters (Psophia nape?isisJ ,

who say “ Chewy, Chewy,” in a curious tone of voice when they

want food, and the Tuis imitate this to perfection. When in

fully adult plumage they have a yellow patch around the eyes,

at present it is only faintly visible in mine. I can heartily

recommend these birds as pets, for they are most affectionate,

and although I have no time to pay any special attention to

mine now, they remain just as tame as when they were with me

nearly all day long out in South America. Many of these

remarks also apply to another and much better known member

of the same genus, the Canary-winged Parrakeet (B. virescens).

We met with them for the first time on the Tower Napo, some¬

where near the mouth of the Curarai, where at sunset they

assembled on the trees along the banks of the river in such

thousands that I have never seen anything like it in my life

elsewhere. They seemed to choose as their sleeping places

chiefly one particular kind of tree, that was very bare of leaves,

and grew where the banks of the river were lowest and the

ground swampy. Our Indians delighted in making a noise to

disturb them, when the sky all around would be full of them,



