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In connection with the flesh-eating propensity of Nestor notabilis, I may mention a very remark- 
able case that occurred within my own experience, in which a whole fraternity of caged Parrots took 
to “ cannibalism, if I may so term the killing and devouring of one another, without necessity, and 
in defiance of their natural habits and instincts. I had the following Parrots associated together in 
one compartment of my aviary at Wanganui, viz. two King Lories ( Aprosmictus scapulatus), a pair 
of Rosellas ( Plotycercus exiviius), a pair of Blue Mountain-Parrots ( Platycercus pennantii ), and a 
Grass-Parrot ( Platycercus semitorquatus), all of them species indigenous to Australia. For nearly 
two yeais they lived together on terms of perfect amity and friendship, feeding from the same seed- 
troughs, often playing and coying with each other, and forming a constant source of attraction by 
their noisy clamour and the glittering of their rich plumage in the sunlight. One species alone (the 
last-named) was moody and shy, generally retiring to the highest perch under the domed roof, and 
disputing its possession with the rest. At length one of the pretty Rosellas met with an accident, 
which, in part, disabled it in the wing. The attention that it received from its partner was quite 
touching to witness. The maimed bird being unable to reach its perch, and therefore compelled to 
roost at night on the lower framework of the aviary, its mate forsook its sheltered perch under the 
dome and took up its position beside it ; and during the day it was constantly chattering to it in a 
low confidential sort of manner. But this mishap led to a series of disasters that proved fatal, in the 
end, to the whole company. The Grass-Parrot, still retaining his sulky demeanour, began to persecute 
the disabled Rosella, and ultimately killed and partly devoured it. There was abundance of grain 
and othei food in the troughs; but the Blue Mountain-Parrots followed suit, and whetted their 
appetites on the defunct Rosella. Attributing this contretemps to the weakly condition of the victim, 
I simply removed the mutilated body, and left the murderer in the aviary. On the following 
morning, however, I found, to my dismay, that he had killed and partly eaten one of the beautiful 
Blue Mountain-Parrots, and was murderously pursuing the' surviving Rosella. I at once removed the 
author of all this mischief, and hoped to see harmony restored in the family ; but the spirit of evil 
had been fairly roused, and I next found that the surviving “Blue Mountain” had killed the male 
King Loiy and was devouring his body. Then I witnessed another touch of nature; for the mate of 
the last-named bird fretted and moped, refused her food, and died of a broken heart. Finally, the 
bereaved Rosella, as if to seek revenge for the murder of his sickly mate, made open war on the 
surviving female Blue Mountain-Parrot, and succeeded in killing her. I found this valiant little 
Parrakeet standing on the body of its vanquished enemy, and whistling in the most excited manner. 
And thus, within the limits of a single week, a group of Parrots that had lived together so long on 
the most satisfactory teims had, during a contagious passion for killing and devouring, come to utter 
giief, and only a solitary male Rosella remained ! This bird shortly afterwards gained its liberty ; 
and thus teiminated my fiist and last experiment with Australian Parrots. But it must be remem- 
bered that this was an abnormal development of character under domestication, or at any rate 
under the artificial restraints of confinement. The difference in the case of the Kea is that, in its 
wild and natural state, it readily feeds on raw meat, and seems to prefer that to its proper vegetable 
diet. 
TV hen the Kea first began to frequent the outstations and sheep-yards, it was very unsuspicious 
and tame. Mr. Potts, Jun., snared a number of them by means of a simple flax noose at the end of 
a long rod. He describes them as exhibiting great boldness and confidence, clambering about the 
roof of his hut, and allowing a very close approach, for they had not yet learnt to regard man as 
their natural enemy. When caught (he tells us) they remained quite still, without any of the noisy 
fluttering which usually accompanies the capture of birds, even when managed with adroitness. One 
of the birds caught by him was placed on the floor under an inverted American bucket, the places for 
the handle not permitting the rim of the bucket to touch the ground. The Kea, taking advantage 
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