4 GOFFIN'S COCKATOO. 



of course, be more sparingly afforded in winter than in summer, when 

 the supply may be practically unlimited. 



If there are young ones to be provided for in the nest, soaked bread 

 must be added to the bill of fare — soaked in water, mark you, never 

 in milk, and the maize and oats may be advantageously boiled for a 

 couple of hours, strained and let become quite cold, before being placed 

 in the seed-pans. These and the drinking-vessels should preferably be 

 of delf-ware, rather than of tin or wood; indeed the latter would not 

 be of more than a day's use, for Goffin is an inveterate "whittler", 

 the former are not easily cleaned, and nothing foul should be tolerated 

 for a moment in the aviary. 



Here let us remark that a pair of Goffins will require a dwelling- 

 place all to themselves, for they are not to be trusted with other birds; 

 the smaller they would kill, and very probably partially devour, and 

 the larger they would persecute until the lives of the intruders became 

 a burden to themselves, or they turned round upon their assailants and 

 gave them "tit for tat", and in either case there would not be the 

 faintest chance of any young Goffins making their appearance upon the 

 scene. 



Grasshoppers, where the aviarist lives in the country, ants' eggs, 

 that is to say the pupas of the ants in their cocoons, should be supplied, 

 though rather sparingly, when there are young ones in the nest to be 

 fed: and in towns, crickets and blackbeetles, or even mealworms will 

 answer the same purpose. Cockchaffers, and daddy-long-legs (Tvpulce) 

 will be relished, but insect food of some kind is indispensable if Goffin 

 is to breed. 



We are aware that the above directions will be looked upon by some 

 as heterodox and objectionable to the last degree : taut pis, messieurs, 

 we speak from experience, and as the French say "rien n 3 est plus 

 brutal qu 'un fait." 



We cannot conclude our observations, necessarily limited in extent, 

 seeing that we have already said so much about the Goffin elsewhere, 

 without adverting to the ancient, horrible and most persistent super- 

 stition that Parrots (including Cockatoos) do not require water! 



That none of the family are great drinkers we admit; still they do 

 drink, and many of them cannot and will not survive for any length 

 of time in captivity without a sufficient supply — of rain water where 

 practicable — but water of some kind. Milk, so generally forced upon 

 Parrots, is no substitute, and sopped bread is simply an abomination. 

 Parrots, as a rule, are small eaters, as well as moderate drinkers, but 

 in their wild state they live on unripe, or at least soft seeds, and 

 consequently do not require so very much fluid to aid their digestion: 



