i6 
come close up to me, waiting while I prepare their food. The 
night of arrival the cock Sams mauled the hen's head terribly 
and she was found the next morning with her head raw and 
bleeding; since then they have been kept separate during the 
night, but they roam together during the day. 
These birds are in a Park a mile round, so they have full 
freedom. 
lEyp^rienccs of jforeion BiiD 3mportatton. 
By R. SuGGiTT. 
It was in tlie summer of 1906 that my friend Mr. A. 
SutclifFe and myself first conceived the idea of importing a few 
birds for our own aviaries, and at this time an excellent oppor- 
tunity presented itself, as a ship belonging to Mr. Sutcliflfe's 
father was about to sail from Grimsby for Central America. We 
approached the captain on the subject, but knowing very little 
about birds and distrusting his ability to bring them over alive, 
he kindly referred us to Mr. Porter, the mate. Mr. Porter, seeing 
a good opportunity of relieving the monotony of the homeward 
voyage, accepted the commission without hesitation. 
I may here explain that the "John " is a sailing ship and 
makes only two voyages per year ; the average passage each way 
occupies from forty to fifty days ; a month or six weeks is taken 
up in loading the cargo for home; and a similar time here for 
refitting, cleaning, etc. She usually sails to Cartagena, or Savan- 
illa, Columbia, to discharge her outward cargo, and thence to 
Laguna de Terminos to load for home. 
Laguna de Terminos is an island in the Bay of Campeachy, 
lying at the extreme South of the Gulf of Mexico, and separated 
from the mainland by a strait about five miles in width. The 
island is some fifteen miles in length, and from four to five in 
breadth. The water close to the shore is so deep, that the ship 
is taken up a small river and nu)ored to the forest trees. A 
great part of the land is covered with rice and maize fields, 
banana and pineapple plantations ; the rest is forest. Tlie island 
is a bird paradise. Parrots and Parrakeets climb about the trees 
and in the ship's rigging— when they are not busy destroying 
