The Parson Bird.



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as I thought he probably had a mate and little home somewhere

near. He came every day and fed out of a little saucer of seed

placed upon his old cage for him, and once he flew into the cage

and sang as of old.


I have other Bullfinches in the cage now, and he has flown

on to the wire roof, sung to the hen, and tried to get at the cock

to do battle. Then he came with a mate, and I am hoping they

may come back as winter draws on, but he has not been seen

since November. He used to fly about at breakfast-time and eat

crumbs off the table, singing and whistling. I fear he may have

been shot or trapped, as it is not understood in this country how

much good the Bullfinch does to a garden, even if he does help

himself to a little fruit occasionally by way of reward.



THE PARSON BIRD.


By John William Ainley.


This bird is credited with three distinct names, viz. : Poe

Bird, Tui, and Parson Bird. It is a native of New Zealand, and

in size about like that of our English Blackbird, measuring S|

inches from tip of beak to end of tail, of which the tail comprises

about 2\ inches. The Poe Bird is, broadly-speaking, black

all over, with these exceptions, the primaries are of a metallic

hue, while on either side of the throat is a little bunch of white

feathers, which the bird at its option can draw together and

thus form one single hanging tie, hence the name Parson Bird.

From the base of the skull, right down the back of the neck

falling well on to the shoulders, is a complete network of feathers

curved as seen at the tip of an ostrich feather, only on a minia¬

ture scale.


I kept my Poe Bird in a cage a little over 4ft. long by

2ft. 6in. deep, and I think a cleaner insectivorous bird no one

can possess, for the moment he saw his bath he was impatient to

be in it. I do not ever remember seeing him feed on the cage

bottom, as he invariably fed hanging head downwards from his

perch. His song was different from that of any other bird that I

have heard, and when commencing to sing one would have

thought the bird was choking, yet still his song was sweet and



