136 Correspondence, Notes, etc.


judiciously mixed, may be kept together with success from the point of

view of the welfare of the birds and of interest to the public.


Our collection of Parrots perhaps more nearly realises an ideal ex¬

hibition than any group of birds in the Gardens. In the Parrot House

there is an unrivalled series, showing as many different species as

possible, side by side in systematic order. In the adjoining flight cages

outside the house examples of some of the more valuable Parrakeets are

paired for breeding. In the large aviary on the Canal Bank are kept

duplicates of the common species in the house, to exhibit the behaviour of

these birds in a state of partial freedom.


This aviary comes in for a good deal of adverse criticism, but practi¬

cally no commendation from Mr. Wiener. In the first place it is asserted

that Parrots, as an order, are unfit for collocation in a large flight cage on

account of certain peculiarities of temperament and habit. But the brief

epitome Mr. Wiener gives of their mode of life, even if its accuracy be

admitted, applies with a few unimportant modifications to a very large

number of birds. As a matter of practical experience, the Parrots in the

Gardens have shown themselves to be exceptionally well suited for associa¬

tion in a spacious enclosure. Their ‘ intensely jealous ’ disposition, regarded

by Mr. Wiener as a vice, has proved in reality a virtue. It serves to keep

like to like and prevents rather than causes the clashing of interests and

tastes which is a sure source of bickering in all communities. Now and

again a case of bullying or mobbing occurs; but on the whole an unexpected

spirit of harmony and amicability pervades the whole establishment.


With respect to the alleged poor condition of the birds in the aviary,

I rejoice to observe that Mr. Wiener speaks in the past tense. Had he

spoken of the present time, I should have been compelled to dissent most

emphatically from his verdict. At the time when a number of duplicate

parrots from the Parrot House were first put into the aviary it contained a

good many seedy-looking specimens. To these have been added from time

to time, often at the special request of donors, birds that had been

badly kept or whose plumage needed exposure to wind and rain. The

fact that there is hardly an unfit specimen now in the aviary shows how

the life suits them and is entirely opposed to Mr. Wiener’s suggestion

of the opposite conclusion. It is quite true that on a dull, damp or foggy

winter’s day many of them look mopy, ruffled or sleepy. So do most birds

in the Gardens; but as soon as the sun shines out their spirits rise, their

feathers fall and they behave with every appearance of vigour and health.


The fact that there were rats in the aviary was due to a fault in its

construction. A particular blemish of this kind cannot be used as an argu¬

ment against large flight cages in general. Rats will get into small cages

unless proper means are taken to exclude them. Moreover it cannot be

seriously claimed that these vermin which might be seen feeding out of

the same dishes as the birds—a sight by no means devoid of interest—did

much harm.



