56 Notes on some Fijian Buds in Captivity.


fortunately not been introduced. They are noisy birds in a wild

state. Two young birds were procured in Taveuni. One died

soon after arrival in this country and the other is now in the

Zoological Gardens.


P. personatns is a local species; its range being confined

to the island of Viti L,evu. It used to be the commonest of all

the parrots in that island, but it is now on the verge of extinction,

for which the Mongoose is again responsible. I11 fact it is said

that all the individuals extant are old birds and that no young

have been reared for a considerable time. In the neighbourhood

of Suva a few are still seen in the Mangrove swamps, and several

were seen round the house after the great hurricane of March

23rd, 1910; the heads of specimens shot were covered with lice.

I kept one bird in captivity, this had been captured as a nestling

several years before. It lived for over a year, but died suddenly

a few weeks before I left Fiji. A curious point about these birds

is their remarkable goat-like smell, which is especially pungent

when kept in captivity and renders their propinquity unpleasant.

This emanates apparently from some secretion and is quite inde¬

pendent of the cleanliness of their surroundings. My specimen

was in fine green and yellow plumage which, in addition to his

docility, made him a very winsome pet.


All these parrots can be easily fed on green maize, vege¬

tables of various sorts and fruit; they do not take kindly to hard

food.


I made several attempts to keep the brilliantly-coloured

doves, so characteristic of Fiji, in captivity ; a recently-fledged

Chtysoena luteovirens was captured in one of the hospital wards,

and by forcible feeding with berries I managed to keep it alive

for a week.


On another occasion I winged a fine female Ptilinopus

pero7isei . which only lived a few days refusing all food whether

native berries, bananas or other fruit.


Of other Pacific birds I procured a lory (Lorius flavicerciis')

and a male Westermanu’s Eclectus from the Solomon Islands

and a Pacific Imperial Fruit Pigeon (Carpophaga pacified) from

Samoa, all of which are doing well.



