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as to try to carry off their dead ; and many instances are on record of birds

endeavouring to help each other in time of trouble. An observer not long

ago reported the fa6t that he saw a sparrow trying to release another which

had become entangled in a piece of horsehair attached to the bough of a

tree.”


“ A party of sportsmen out grouse-shooting in Ireland a year or two

back, came upon a pair of grouse, and discovered that the male was totally

blind of both eyes, and that his mate, a fine bird, evidently ministered to

all his wants—leading him about, bringing him food, and keeping close

beside him. Such devotion in a bird is, I should say, almost without a

parallel.” _


CORRESPONDENCE.



IS GRIT DANGEROUS TO NEWEY IMPORTED PARROTS?


Sir,—I think the following extract, from the letter of a person who

has much to do with freshly imported Parrots, will be of interest to some of

your readers.


“ I never give Parrots grit of any kind. Several Parrots that have

died I have opened, and in many cases have found that their gizzard has

been full of hard, undigested grit, all caked together, so to speak, and the

intestines torn, and in some cases quite pierced, as though the grit, passing

through the bird, had torn them; and consequently this, I think, must

account for so many cases of inflammation of the bowels in Parrots; and

even Cockatoos, the same. In their natural state, they are, I believe, more

used to long grasses than grit.


“ One thing I do know, the sailors never give them any. And I have

had the greatest success with Greys, Amazons, and Cockatoos, when no

grit has been used. Fine sand is all right, but no grit.”


I do not know that I should altogether draw the conclusions my

correspondent does. The Grey Parrot is chiefly in question. It won’t do

to generalize as to Parrots’ food, but I think it is possible sharp grit may be

dangerous, and that the Grey, at any rate, does not have much in its wild

state.


I shouldn’t take sailors’ feeding as a model: withholding grit on the

voyage may be the cause of the mischief when it is supplied. But I am

always glad to get the experience of those who have had much to do with

Parrots. F. G. Dutton.



FEEDING PARROTS ON MICE.


Sir, —Much has been written and said against giving Parrots and

Parrakeets meat, but it seems hard to believe that it can be so injurious to

them, seeing that they are so fond of it. About five years ago, I had an

English Jay in one of my outdoor aviaries in which were four Pennants, a

Bloodwing, King and Queen Parrakeets, several Rosellas and Mealy

Rosellas, etc., and I always found that as soon as a saucer of chopped lean

beef was put in for the Jay, every bird immediately went down and

secured his share, taking a piece on to the roost, and holding it in one claw,

whilst eating it with evident relish. In fact, Mr. Jay had to be very quick

over his meal or he would have got short allowance. Now, about a

fortnight ago, I had caught one of those pests of aviculturists, a mouse,

in a steel trap. The mouse being caught only by one leg, I was about to



