48 GOLDEN PARROT. 



some, very gentle, very tame, very droll in its movements, and very 

 affectionate with those it is well acquainted with, while even with 

 complete strangers it maintains rather a watchful than a defiant attitude, 

 and if treated kindly very soon becomes familiar. 



It is fond of wood cutting, and feeds on maize, rice, hemp seed, 

 fruit, and biscuits. 



Considering the scarcity of these birds in their native country, the 

 infrequency of their importation into Europe, and their consequent high 

 price; it is not surprising that no attempt at breeding them has been 

 made, much less that no successful rearing of a brood of Golden 

 Parrots has been recorded, either in the Transactions of Zoological 

 Societies, or in the volumes of those journals which devote the whole 

 or a portion of their space to bird matters; and yet it should not be 

 difficult to induce a bird that is hardy and docile to perpetuate its 

 species in captivity, which so many of the Psittacidce are anxious to 

 do, and accomplish successfully when in harmony with their surroundings, 

 which, unfortunately, is not very often the case. 



The bird from which the plate was taken, and which we have had 

 under observation for some time, shows every inclination to pair, if 

 only it could find a mate. Should we succeed in getting it one, and 

 a brood be the result, we shall take care to let the interesting fact 

 be known. 



The Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton's account of Conurus luteus. 



I have not much to say about this bird, because it is one that I 

 have not yet had, but am always trying to get; but I have seen enough 

 of it to wish to make me get one. Here let me make a digression 

 to complain of the perverse fate which causes all the most unlikely 

 people in the world to have Parrots sent or given to them, but 

 which always turns that particular stream of benevolence away from 

 me, who have loved Parrots from the time I was a boy. 



However, to return to our Conure. The first Golden Oonure I ever 

 saw was at the Zoological Gardens. I was struck with the beauty of 

 the bird, and its charming tameness. You might do anything with it; 

 swing it by the beak or one leg, or it would lie on its back in your 

 hand. They are said to be excellent talkers. Later on, I saw two 

 more at the Gardens. These were young birds, and as far as I recollect 

 entirely green, instead of, as in the old birds, a bright canary yellow. 

 Even in the old birds the flight feathers are green. 



Of course as they are not brought over very often, they command 

 a good price, and one would have to pay some £5 for a bird. They 

 are natives of Brazil. 



