WEITE-EABED CONUBE. 93 



the crops of maize, of winch they destroy far more, in apparent wan- 

 tonness, than they can or do consume. The agriculturists, in revenge 

 for the loss and damage inflicted by them, kill and eat as many of 

 these pretty creatures as they can; and although the old birds are 

 most decidedly tough, the young ones of the year, fattened on the 

 purloined maize, are tender and most excellent gibier : it seems a pity, 

 however, to put such charming birds to such a use, for there are 

 plenty of ugly ones to take their place on the Brazilian farmers' 

 tables; and, it seems to us, at the price quoted, at present at all events, 

 £2, and even upwards a piece, it would pay the farmers better to 

 export the White-eared Conures to Europe alive, than to kill and eat 

 them at home; but possibly these excellent individuals are ignorant 

 of the commercial value of their little enemies, or doubtless they would 

 treat them in a different manner, for to eat one of them, at the figure 

 they now command in the bird-market, seems something like eating 

 gold, and the Brazilians, unless vastly changed, have a keen eye to 

 "the main chance", as we remember to have heard from some friends 

 who had had extensive dealings with them. 



Mr. "Wiener fed his White-eared Conures on "millet, canary, and a 

 little hemp seed, with about a quarter of a sponge-cake daily", which 

 is so excellent and suitable a regimen for them, that we are not sur- 

 prised to hear him say that upon it his pair "grew daily prettier." 



These birds are very pretty and gentle, and soon become very tame; 

 a young male, much petted and attended to, will learn to repeat a 

 few words, and become a delightful companion; they are, however, 

 rather shy with strangers, and should not be unnecessarily alarmed; 

 if they are they will bite, and that sharply, but their doing so is 

 solely the effect of fear. 



