108 BOUBKWS PABBAKEET. 



so much so that the Zoological Gardens do not possess a pair, or even 

 a single individual of the species. 



Mr. Wiener writes of the Bourke, "This delicately-tinted Australian 

 Grass Parrakeet is one of the most gentle birds of the Parrot tribe. 

 It is much to be regretted that it is so rarely imported, and therefore 

 very dear to buy. If once acclimatised these birds are very hardy, 

 and breed freely. Mr. Groom, of Camden Town, London, had the 

 best pair which I ever saw, and kept them summer and winter in one 

 of the open-air aviaries of his own construction, where the birds hatched 

 a brood of young. I quote Mr. Groom's report verbatim: — The egg 

 of the Bourhii is about the size of a Turquoisine's egg, of roundish 

 shape. The male bird assists in the incubation. Time, about seventeen 

 days. Nest in wood log hollowed out for them, as they do not appear 

 to have the power to cut away the wood like most Parrakeets do/" 



On reading the foregoing extract, we wrote to Mr. Groom for further 

 particulars, and append his reply, merely remarking that these birds 

 should not be called "BourMi", which is the genitive case of their 

 specific name, and not at all a plural, as some dealers and one author 

 seem to regard it: Bourke, or Bourke's Parrot or Parrakeet, is their 

 correct English name, Psittacus BourMi their scientific designation. 



Mr. Groom writes: "In reply to your letter re Bourke's Parrakeets, 

 I regret that I can give you no more information than that given by 

 Mr. Wiener, in his account of Cage Birds. I think it is well known 

 they are gentle and affectionate : the pair you saw at the Shows, I had 

 about four years, fed almost entirely on canary-seed; they were two 

 years in the small-sized garden aviaries, nine feet by four, length seven 

 feet by three feet, the same you and Mr. Wiener term large doll- 

 houses. I must tell you the wood-house was a very snug one, quite 

 free from draughts, and would have been too close with the windows 

 shut in the summer evenings; but these birds did well through the 

 two severe winters; on cold days, and in fact during the severe months, 

 they were kept in the wood shed, I never saw any difference in them. 

 The hen died suddenly on the nest, before the young were a day old; 

 the male was sold to a gentleman from Germany, he taking it from 

 the Alexandra Palace Show. I have no doubt they would breed in 

 suitable aviaries could one obtain a young pair: should I have the 

 opportunity of again possessing a pair, I would take notice of their 

 particular habits and let you know." 



"A relation of this sort, well authenticated, is worth all the Greek 

 and Latin of all the nomenclators, that ever barbarized language for 

 the purpose of obscuring knowledge", as Cuvier said in another con- 

 nection; but, so little originality is there in the world, the same remai\k 



