102 BLUE-FRONTED AMAZON. 



This leads me to say that in any attempt to acclimatise Parrots, 

 such as those attempted by Mr. Buxton at Northrepps and in Surrey, 

 we should ask ourselves what end we propose to gain. There seems 

 to "be no reason why some of the species should not really be accli- 

 matised, that is become really wild birds. The Cockatoos, I conceive, 

 might. Bat would it be desirable that they should? Do we want 

 Cockatoos added to our native birds? I imagine the farmers would 

 find them a great nuisance. Of course, if we only want to adorn our 

 own grounds with various exotic species, we have only to choose the 

 sorts we admire most. But there are one or two species which would 

 be a great addition to our native Fauna, and probably annoy no one. 

 It astonishes me that greater efforts have not been made to acclimatise 

 the Budgerigar. There have been times when this lovely bird has 

 been brought over in such quantities, that it has been sold for two 

 shillings and ninepence a pair. Those people who have aviaries might 

 do something. The difficulty is with the first letting out. A bird 

 let out for the first time has to be followed up. One must not only 

 know where it is, but it must know where its master is. After it has 

 once or twice come back to its cage, the difficulty is over; and this 

 is what makes it so easy to train Cockatoos, Macaws, Amazons, and 

 Grey Parrots to liberty. They are easily seen and heard, and if they 

 have flown too far, are striking to strangers, so that one is quickly 

 put on their track. But Budgerigars are so small, that they are easily 

 lost sight of. Acclimatising them might be done in one of two ways. 

 Either the experiment may be tried with single specimens which are 

 very tame, so tame as to fly on to the hand; or with great numbers 

 which have been accustomed for some time to be fed near the wire 

 of an out-door aviary. One might trust to some of the number coming 

 back to feed, and so bringing the others, till they had learned to find 

 their own food. Of course the experiment will best succeed in a very 

 strictly preserved country, where all the proprietors are friends. The 

 Hawks will be shot, and a word to the gamekeepers will save the 

 Parrakeets from a like fate. Blue Mountain Lories, I think, might 

 also be acclimatised, and with advantage. It would be a great ad- 

 ditional beauty to our woods, were so splendid a bird to be seen 

 amongst [them. The Platyceri, I am afraid, are too shy and timid to 

 be likely birds for successful experiments; but Amazons and Greys 

 are not at all birds to try. Their whole recommendation is for strictly 

 cage birds, and they can always be bought so cheaply, that there is 

 but little advantage to be gained from their acclimatisation. They are 

 not particularly beautiful, and their natural cries are far from being a 

 sound to be added to those of our woods. 



