42 BLUE MOUNTAIN LORY. 



susceptible natures would be shocked" by the sudden death of their 

 favourite, "not to become the owner of a Blue Mountain Lory", for 

 it is undeniable that they would not, and could not, long survive on 

 "sweet sop" alone; in fact "sop" is an injudicious article of diet for 

 any bird. If bread is given, it should be the crumb of a sweet white 

 loaf, two days old, soaked for ten minutes, or thereabouts, in cold water, 

 squeezed, and renewed at least twice a day; but Parrots can not, any- 

 more than men, live on bread alone, and require, the Lory sub-family 

 especially, a varied diet as already recommended. 



Parrot "tins" are an abomination, for they can never be cleaned 

 properly, and should not be used: delf-ware is far preferable, or 

 enamelled iron-ware, both of which can be scalded and kept sweet, 

 with comparatively little difficulty or trouble. 



Mr. G-edney indeed says: "Those fanciers who become the owners 

 of such birds (as the Blue Mountain) must be prepared to devote nearly 

 as much care and attention to them as would be required by a newly- 

 born child"; but he indulges in hyperbole here, for it is manifest that 

 they do not and cannot, except perhaps in the matter of food, and 

 scarcely there, for the preparation of food for a young child that is 

 being attempted to be brought up by hand, is a far more serious affair, 

 than the feeding of a couple of Lories as Dr. Euss or Mr. Wiener 

 recommends; though where their diet is made to consist of "sop," we 

 confess that much difficulty will be experienced in preventing that old 

 fashioned article of infantine and Psittacidean diet from turning sour, 

 when adieu to the chance of keeping either Parrot or child alive. 



These birds are veritable honey-eaters, but unlike most of their con- 

 geners, they also partake of seeds, and moreover consume a considerable 

 proportion of insect food, so that a due admixture of seeds, honey, 

 fruit and animal food is necessary to maintain them not only in health, 

 but in life : exclusively confined to any one of the above articles of food, 

 these birds would certainly not long survive. 



See to it then, owners of Blue Mountain Lories; let your birds 

 have suitable food provided for them, and you will find that the authorities 

 who pronounce these birds to be "not delicate", are right; while those 

 who tell you that they will not live long in captivity are not wrong, 

 for they belong to an obstinate race, these Blue Mountains, and prefer 

 to "shuffle off this mortal coil" prematurely, to living on an unpal- 

 atable and unsuitable diet. 



When dealers assure you that they keep these birds on seed, the 

 statement must be accepted cum grano : doubtless they give them seed, 

 and ought to do so, but they provide them with other food in addition 

 to dry seed, upon which, however, the birds can subsist for a time, 



