60



Dr. Hamilton—Parrot Diseases in the Wild State



Full of hope, we set out, and found the spring—a beautiful shallow

basin of water in a granite rock. The comparative absence of droppings

was rather a disquieting feature. However, we set the nets, cut down

a few boughs of mallee scrub, and slept on the ground.


Up at sunrise—about 4 a.m.—to my hide, only to see in the next

three hours two Major Mitchell Cockatoos and a few Cat Birds.


This little disappointment was typical of what happened in the

next week. Suffice it to say that we covered many miles, north, south,

east, and west, on rumours of the birds having been seen by someone.


Port Lincoln Bingnecks 1 and Many-colours were the only Parrots

seen, and they were regarded as a pest by the farmers, as they ate

the grain, and even attacked the wheat bags to get at the contents.


As the time for my departure drew near, I decided that I might as

well catch some birds of some sort to take back—not relishing the idea

of returning empty-handed.


So the morning of my return I went to a farm, set the nets, and

caught three dozen Bingnecks and five dozen Many-colours.


Actually I caught more than that number of Many-colours, but

was amazed to see that a great number were suffering from eye

disease. I had not known, prior to this, that it could occur in their

natural state, but just accepted the general view that it was contracted

in dirty trapping cages, etc.


All affected birds I released, and only kept those that seemed free

from any sign of the disease.


These were put in my nice new clean cages, which had an inner

lining of soft netting to prevent injury. In thirty-six hours I was back

in Adelaide, and when I looked at my Many-colours, quite 50 per cent

of them had eye disease.


I put two pairs in a small cage, about 12 by 15 by 18 inches, and

kept them there until one pair had the disease very badly with bulging

eye and abscess formation.


The other pair were not so far advanced. I treated all the birds

with one drop three times a day of 25 per cent Argyrol and 1 per cent

Atropine, placed on each eye.



1 Bauer’s Parrakeet, Barnardius zonarius.



