32 
PSEFHOTI. 
the wall of a room in which they were. Had they done so, they would 
have got into a loft and escaped. So they were caged and sent to 
the Zoological Gardens on condition that they were to be turned into 
the Western aviary. I doubt if the condition was ever kept; for 
when I went to see how they were getting on, they were not there; 
no one seemed to know much about them, and after awhile I was 
told they were dead. It is not much use sending birds to the Zo- 
ological Gardens with a view to their being bred, for it must be 
recollected that they are zoological gardens and not a Jardin 
d'Acclimatation. If the Government would allow them more land, they 
could make the Gardens much more attractive, and of course more 
use; but as they are now restricted to the narrow and inconvenient 
plots they have, they cannot do more than they do: it is wonderful 
they do so much. 
However, to return to my Paradise Paroquets, I regretted afterwards 
that a box covered with tin was not fastened on the other side of the 
wall into which they wanted to burrow : I think they might then have 
bred. 
If I place the Paradise Paroquet at the head of Paroquets for beauty, 
I place the Blue Bonnet, P. hamatog aster, at the head of Paroquets 
as a cage bird. It is the Merry-Andrew of birds. Who can describe 
its tricks in all their charm, amusement, and infinite variety? It is a 
bird full of resources, and never suffers from boredom. If it has 
nothing else to play with, it will play with its own tail. Really to 
enjoy them, they are better kept singly. If they are rather like Pul- 
cherrimus in harrying their wives, they are the complete opposite of 
Pulcherrimus as to timidity. No birds could be bolder, and it needs 
a very short time to make them perfectly familiar with their master. 
I do not mean to say that they like being handled. Paroquets are 
not like Parrots and Cockatoos in this respect. The tamest of them 
endure handling rather than like it as a rule; and the Australian ones 
like it rather less than the Indian and American ones if anything. But 
they came forward to the edge of their cage, and are always ready 
for play. In fact if I were to have to choose which of all the species 
of the Parrot tribe should be the only representative of the family left 
on the earth, I should beg that it might be the Blue Bonnet. Mine 
did not make any advances to breeding. 
I fed them all on millet, canary, and a little hemp. Oats would be 
good for them, or groats. They like plantains. They ai'e very fond 
of bathing, and should always have a good-sized bath. I found Blue 
Bonnets rather subject to inflammation of the lungs. I never had any 
trouble with Pulcherrimus as to health. 
