128 
Macazvs. 
ment, and are well scolded if they shriek, they are very quick 
to know how to beliave themselves; in fact, unless you make 
pals of them, yon do not get the best out of them: some, of 
course, are stupid no matter how you treat them. 
I have a Lemon-crested Cockatoo whose only accomplish- 
ment is dancinj^', when yon whistle " Pop goes the Weasle." A 
young Rosella has learnt this tune and it is very amusing to see 
the Cockatoo dancing to the accompaniment of the Parrakeet. 
The following letter was written by the Rev. C. D. Far- 
rar, for the AviciiJiural Magazine for 1899; it gives an account 
of a Red and Blue Macaw, which was the worst tempered bird 
I ever knew, but a very fine specimen indeed. 
CATCHING A TARTAR. 
" Sir, — I think the suh-joiiied account of an escaped macaw wi'.l 
" amuse the reader.s of our magazine. Some months since my friend Mr. 
■' Marsden manag^ed by accident to let one of his macaws get loose. I was 
" lunching with him soon after and he gave me the following laughabh: 
'■ and graphic account of the escape and capture. 
" ' I was cleaning out the brute's cage,' he said, ' when somehow he 
" managed to slip out, and before I knew it there he was sailing far over- 
" head. ' Ah, Init lu- did look grand !' said my friend, ' ,is he went over the 
" spire of All Souls,' I gave him up for lost, but thoughl 1 would advert- 
" ise for him and offer ;i reward. Some da\ s later I heard that a macaw 
" had been captured in a distant part of Leeds, so I went to see if it was 
" my old friend, .'\fter a lot of trouble I found the liouse .and asking if 
" they had a m.iraw, they informed me that some workmen had caged 
" some kinil of ,i foreign hawk. The sufferings of those ])oor fellows in 
" ;iffecting the capture appearetl to h.ave lieen appalling. I asked where 
" the bird was,' said Mr. M.arsden. ' llu' wom.an of the house told me it 
" was in the best bedroom, ot which it held |if)Ssession. as no one d.ared 
"to enter the room. When I enUi-ed there .sure ennngh w.is ni\ old 
" friend, but,' said .Mr. Mai'sden. with .1 >h\ twinkle of the e\e.' ' \ on ne\er 
" saw such a mess as that room w.is in. .\ gr.and bedstead neaiiv in pieces 
" and other furniturt- damaged past repair. 1 asked the w om.in what she 
" had ted the bird on. Her repl\ w;[s, ' Please sir we g.ave him cats' meat, 
" as he seemed to be some sort of a hawk.' ;\n(l sure enough the i)oor 
" fellow had been existing on this strange diet for several days. However,' 
" said Mr. Marsden, ' I was jolly ,glad to get him back. I had a big account 
" to settle with the workman for d.amage in capture ;ind for ruined furni- 
" ture, besides the .advertised reward.' 
" The whole story struck me as intensely comic, the best bedroom 
" given up to the macaw and the cats' meat diet, thai 1 venture to send 
" it to the ni.agazine in the hope (hat it ina\- make mv readers l.augh ;is it 
" did lue." 
C. D. FARRAR. 
