1932; the Things that didn't come off and the New Arrivals 249


hardier than we imagine. The hen carried nesting material a little

in early spring and the cock became more vocal with cat-calls, but

as is usual with this species they fell into moult in May and are now

(15th August) only just through.


The Purple Sunbirds were my biggest disappointment. I had a

beautiful hen given me late last summer and she came through the

winter in show condition.


In May I introduced her to the cock’s aviary where she settled down

at once and seemed very happy, while he was as civil and attentive

as a cock Sunbird can reasonably be expected to be. For a time she

carried nesting material and things looked promising, but nothing

more happened and the cock is now in winter plumage once more.

They still agree all right but experience has taught me that he will

become a dangerous bully in mid-winter when he begins to re-assume

breeding plumage.


The Palm Cockatoos are very well and lively and the cock some¬

times goes into a nest-box and destroys part of it, but they are

exceedingly timid and I think their wildness is the chief handicap.

Before they regained their spirits I thought them rather silent birds

but now they have a remarkable repertoire both as regards variety

and volume of sound. At first the only noises they made were a harsh

grating scream of terror and a shriek like an excited housemaid. Now

the housemaid yell is sometimes prefaced by a high-pitched whistle.

They have a rattling chatter like a Magpie’s, and a very loud, sudden,

harsh sound, not a screech, but what one might imagine to be the result

if three old gentlemen sneezed inharmoniously at the same moment,

while three others simultaneously gave vent to an expression of dis¬

content and disgust! In addition to these melodies the cock inter¬

sperses a curious “ clik-cluk ” with his comical display which consists

in stamping with one foot, getting very red in the face, erecting his

long, sparse crest, bowing and ducking his head, and looking sideways

up at his mate out of one eye.


The lutino Blue-fronted Amazon again raised my hopes by coming

into breeding condition in May and wanting to pair, but her mate,

the ferocious Koko, repeated his foolish trick of last year and dropped

into moult at the critical moment and would take but little interest



19



