182 Correspondence, Notes , etc.


the Parrots, fattening and multiplying, thee remains nothing to be said

on that point.


I have bred some Parrakeets and found it exceedingly interesting, and

the young when they left their nests were not exactly like their parents.

The late Mr. Vekemans at the Antwerp Gardens, who was in his time

unequalled as regards aviculture, showed me some thirty years ago one

enclosure in which he then bred annually 800 to 1,000 Undulated Parrakeets,

which were then fetching about a pound each. That breeding aviary was

discontinued when the price of these Parrakeets fell so rapidly. He would

certainly not have employed a huge structure of unwieldly proportions.


It would assuredly be very interesting to stock a division of the flight

aviary adjoining the Parrot House with a stock of healthy imported

Undulated Parrakeets, to breed from these, eliminating every year the old

stock and reserving only the young. It has been found that these birds

bred in Europe are paler in their plumage* and in course of time complete

transformation of colour, such as has occurred in the Canary, would prob¬

ably result regularly, as has already resulted not too infrequently in the

case of individuals.


If Mr. Pocock will tenant the Canal Bank Aviary in future only with

Cockatoos and Macaws, I have not a word of criticism to offer. Only the

Cockatoos, when they have destroyed every vestige of vegetation, will

attack the woodwork, and by finding out a weak spot of the wirework will

some day wreck the place. One of these birds wrecked a flight aviary of

mine in one night, and destroyed a Canary cage and its inmate, before early

morning into the bargain.


That the Macaws lived through one winter in the Canal Bank Aviary

was an interesting surprise. Whether they will live a succession of win¬

ters under the same conditions remains to be seen. I for one shall be glad,

but I doubt it.


The Toucans survived one winter in the open air and seemed wonder¬

fully well, but when the next moulting time came they appear not to have

had stamina enough left, and died.


Amazons are, in my opinion, as unsuited to this aviary as African

Grey Parrots would be. These two species of Parrots are clearly very

sensitive, not as regards food and climate, but as regards surrounding

influences. When once brought in contact with human beings they become

individually attached and practically change their nature. Such birds put

into the Canal Bank Aviary would feel about as happy as a Canary turned

loose in the midst of a flight of town Sparrows.



* We have bred Budgerigars somewhat extensively in an outdoor aviary and have

never found the home-bred specimens in the least degree paler than the wild Australian

birds, and we believe that this is the experience of all who have bred these birds in good-

sized outdoor aviaries, in fact many home-bred birds are, if anything, finer specimens than

those imported from Australia. The yellow variety occasionally occurs in a wild state, and

by a careful selection a race of this variety has been established in Europe.—E d.



