on Aviculture in Paraguay.



187



plentiful as acorns in England, and as cheap. So it was decided on

the return journey to provide a companion for the Bed Bird. How

to convey him home on horse-back was a difficulty. However, a

cloth was wrapped firmly round the barrel of a 12-bore shot gun,

whilst a stout leather thong was bound round the Macaw’s feet, and

bird and gun were attached. Words fail to picture the discomforts

of the journey, the bird’s attempts to fall off the perch, his attempted

frantic assaults on the bearer of the gun, and the difficulty of

dismounting and re-mounting, etc. It happened to be heavy rainy

weather, and at that time Parrots both tame and wild are most

voluble, and the Eed bird was heard at some distance proclaiming

the fact that he still lived ; the Blue Macaw as soon as he arrived in

earshot gave the most piercing shrieks of joy at the near proximity

of a fellow ; and a concert of shriek and counter-shriek was main¬

tained during the time it took to bring the birds to closer quarters.

But the new-comer once placed beside the Red bird the latter’s

attitude changed to one of suspicion. He backed before his new¬

found friend with one claw raised deprecating'ly, and kept the

intruder at a distance for some time. Still, at the end of a few days

they became on the very best of terms, never more than a few feet

away, and scratching each other’s heads continually. Under the

civilizing influence of the older prisoner the Blue and Yellow Macaw

at the end of a month had become comparatively tame, though he

never quite reached that degree of familiarity which the former

displayed. When it is considered that six months before acquaint¬

ance with the Red bird he had possibly never even seen a man, that

he had been captured more or less violently and when adult, and

that in that short space of time he had become as docile and almost

as intelligent as a dog, whose ancestors have been bred in captivity

for countless generations, it is impossible not to wonder at the truly

marvellous intelligence and adaptability of these Macaws.


The Parrots cannot be left without mentioning an amusing

incident that occurred just before the arrival of the Yellow Macaw.

A Toucan (Pteroglossus castanotis ) that had met with some accident

and could not fly, but that was otherwise sound, had been brought

in from the woods by one of the men. He was placed alongside the

Macaw and remained apparently lost in reflections on his unhappy



