134



Correspondence.



She has Fellowes’ Syrup in her water always ; no hemp in the seed mix¬

ture, but a little Sunflower seed, and also some sopped biscuit and water, in

which I was advised to put a few drops of Cod Liver Oil, but that ended the sop,

so I have put a little salt butter in it, which she loves, and a bit of butter on

toast is a delight. Spray millet she likes, and she eats well, Sometimes a little


powdered sulphur is dusted over her skin, but it does not seem to be beneficial.


% 3?


The following reply has been sent to Miss Drummond :


I am afraid that there is no certain remedy for feather-plucking in parrots,

It is generally brought about by dryness and irritation of the skin consequent

upon indigestion due to incorrect feeding, though in a few instances it results

from the presence of parasites.


Sometimes, if treated when it first starts and before it has become a habit,

correct feeding and a little of Dinneford’s Fluid Magnesia in the drinking-water

for a few days have a beneficial resnlt; as also turning the bird loose in a densely

planted aviary where its attention is diverted to the destruction of trees and

shrubs ; but a parrot or parrakeet in a cage, having little to occupy its mind

beyond its food, cannot be cured of a bad habit of this nature.


In his excellent work on the Parrakeets my friend Mr. Seth-Smith says

of the Blue-Bonnets and their near relatives—“ Canary-seed should be the staple

food of these birds in captivity, and to this should be added millet, hemp and

oats, the last two sparingly, and an abundance of green food during the summer

months is essential. The present writer has kept three species for years, and is

strongly opposed to soft food, such as bread and milk, egg and bread, and so on,

as a food for these birds, except when there are young birds to be fed, when stale

bread, soaked in cold water and squeezed nearly dry is undoubtedly most bene¬

ficial, and aids the parents very considerably in their task of feeding their

young.”


Butter is undoubtedly bad for all kinds of parrots. A. G. BUTLER.

THE KINGFISHER.


SIR, —I don’t know if the small amount of experience I have had in keep¬

ing Kingfishers in captivity will prove of interest to your readers ; for I am bound

to say that I did not meet with a great amount of success. The first attempt

was when I was at Eton. I procured a young hand-reared one which I kept in

an ordinary Blackbird’s cage. I used to feed him by hand on minnows which I

partly caught myself and partly bought from Bembridge (the fishing-tackle man).

I had him about three weeks, when my house-master strongly objected to the

insanitary odour in my room, so I had to find other quarters for my bird. At

that time I kept several terriers, white rats, and other small game at a cottage in

Tangier Lane, Eton, which was out of bounds. It belonged to a man of the

name of Jim Bailey, a stone-mason by trade {when he chose to work), who I

afterwards started in a bird-shop in Eton. He took charge of the Kingfisher,

and the bird lived in the Blackbird’s cage in perfect health for nine months and



