68 The Marquess of Tavistock—A Satisfactory Bird


trees, amongst which was conspicuous Yacaranda mimosaifolia,

with its beautiful clusters of blue flowers. Los Angeles would indeed

be a charming town if it had not the defect that all North American

cities have, namely, that of having been built on the square system,

which takes away all charm ! One always looks into an endless hole

when one looks into an avenue or street!


Not long after I had established myself into my hotel room, which

had windows opening into a garden, I was gladdened by the sight of

two beautiful Blue Jays (Aphelocoma californica ) that were mobbing a

cat that sat unconcernedly on a wall and tried to look as if it were no

concern of his, those noisy birds ! They are extremely handsome birds,

those Californian Jays, even more beautiful than their Florida cousins.

The colours are more intense and there is an additional pretty light-

blue marking over the eyes. Dr. Frank Chapman tells us that this fine

bird, in slightly differentiated forms, is found throughout the greater

part of the western Lbiited States, southward into Mexico.


(To be continued.)



A SATISFACTORY BIRD


By the Marquess of Tavistock


“ Wanted, Indian Parrakeet; must be reasonable.” So ran an

advertisement in Cage Birds w T hich caught my eye some months ago.

The advertiser was, no doubt, thinking only of price, but if he had had

some experience of Parrakeets — and particularly Ringneeks—at liberty,

the words might have had for him another and deeper significance.

When you give a foreign bird its liberty in order that you may get full

enjoyment of the beauty of its plumage and the interest of its habits,

you soon find that “ reasonableness ” is a. quality of prime importance.

Sometimes it depends on the species, sometimes on the individual.

Broad-tailed Parrakeets of all species are eminently reasonable so long

as the cocks, only, of properly mated pairs are released. If they stray,

the owner has simply got his own stupidity to thank. On the other

hand, you Can never quite tell what a Palceornis will do. It may stay

in the most exemplary fashion ; it may stay for a time and then go

off ; or it may stray immediately and be seen no more. If, as I hope



