BUDGERIGAR. 119 



sphincter, or circular muscle that regulates the anal aperture, prevents 

 the bird depositing her egg, and this form of the disease may be 

 recognised by the straining, and impotent efforts of the poor bird to 

 get rid of her burden; in which case a drop or two of oil introduced 

 into the vent by means of a small camel-hair brush, combined with 

 warmth, will relax the spasm, and enable the egg to be laid: but 

 birds so troubled are weak, and should be caged up and well fed for 

 a few days, or even weeks, before being restored to their mates. 



Some hens sit so continuously that, unless the cock is a most attentive 

 partner, and has an abundance of food at his disposal, they actually 

 die upon their nests, especially during the first days after the hatching 

 of the little ones; others again wear themselves out in a season by 

 too assiduous attention to the great business of continuing the species, 

 and should have their laudable desire to people the world with Bud- 

 gerigars kept within reasonable limits. 



Hardy and desirable as a cage or aviary bird, there would not be 

 the least difficulty in acclimatising the Budgerigar in this country, 

 were but a strict protection accorded them for a few years, after which 

 they would defy the farmer's guns. During winter, especially if severe 

 and prolonged frost set in, it would be necessary to scatter seed and 

 especially oats near their haunts, as is now done for the Pheasants in 

 many preserves; and as they are not destructive to growing crops, there 

 is no reason why these pretty birds should not soon become a feature 

 in our woods and copses. It would then be interesting to observe 

 whether they reverted to the ancestral migratory habits of the species 

 in Australia, and sought "fresh fields and pastures new" when the 

 breeding fever was upon them. 



Where would they go to? cross the seas to Southern France or 

 Spain? Who can tell: only let the experiment be made. Who will 

 turn out a couple of hundred, or so, of Undulated Grass Parrakeets 

 some fine May morning, in a well-preserved wood, full of ancient 

 trees, in the holes and crevices of which the Australian strangers might 

 make their nests and rear their young; and so help to solve a deeply 

 interesting ornithological problem? 



That such a scheme is practicable we have no doubt, for these birds 

 breed freely in garden aviaries, and there are instances on record in 

 which escaped pairs have actually reared a brood in this country, as 

 well as on the continent: let some amateur then, with whom the con- 

 ditions for a successful carrying out of the experiment are possible, 

 make the attempt, and record the result in some one of the many 

 Journals that make "Aviculture-" a speciality. 



As we write, Budgerigars are more scarce in the market than they 



