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one is often glad when dusk sets in and the electric light is

turned on to give the birds sufficient light to see their food.

Occasionally too, to add to your difficulties and to the discomfort

of the birds, one of the boxes breaks adrift and you find it,

generally, face down on the floor, with sand, water, and seed in

a pulp, sticking all over the cage and sand-tray at an angle of 45 0

in the box. This state of affairs often lasts from three to five

days. After rounding Cape Lewin, you meet with more

genial weather and have the stock removed to some sheltered

spot as near the open as possible, as it is yet too cold to take

them right out on the deck, especially Gouldians, which, when

freshly caged, I find the most sensitive to cold ; they will rarely

stand a less temperature than 75 0 ; at 70° they get ruffled up

with their head tucked under the wing and drop off rapidly.

After a few mere days the weather gets quite warm and it is

perfectly safe to have the stock transferred to the open, and need¬

less to say the birds thoroughly enjoy the warmth, fresh air, and

daylight. In a week’s time you begin to compliment yourself

on the condition of the stock, when you are plunged into the

stifling moist atmosphere of the Indian Ocean, from thence to

the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. During this period Gouldians

improve daily, but most other specimens feel it very trying,

gasping all day for breath and resting on the perches with out¬

spread wings. Towards sundown they simply go mad with joy

and eat their evening meal ravenously. They are now always

left on deck over night (my boxes are all double fronted, iin.

space between each wire front for protection against rats).

During the Mediterranean passage they pick up wonderfully 7 and

by the time they reach home (should the weather from Gibraltar

to the Channel be fairly mild) are in grand condition. Sometimes

boisterous weather is met with from the Portuguese Coast to the

Thames, when a repetition of the Australian Bight difficulties

occurs, but on a modified scale, as there is more space on the

ship, consequently 7 more light and air, and to the happy survivors

more cage space.


As to food and general treatment during the voyage,

Gouldians, Bichenos, Crimson Finches, Grass Finches, etc.,

have canary seed and Indian millet in separate boxes, spray

millet and cuttlefish, with sea sand and finely 7 ground shell on

cage bottom, fresh daily 7 and thoroughly 7 cleaned out every second

or third day, outside bath on cage daily 7 . With this treatment I

find they do exceptionally 7 well with me and always arrive home

clean and in grand condition. Parrakeets have the usual



