Sydney Porter—■Notes on Birds of Fiji



95



I mention that the birds live in the damp forests where there is as

much as 300 inches of rain in a year. When the feathers did appear

on the birds they just withered and fell off.


(I was assured by the over-anxious manager of the tourist bureau

in Suva that Fiji was not a tropical country because the equator did

not run through it and that the daily temperature of 100° F. while I

was there was nothing to that of tropical countries. I mentioned

about coco-nut palms only growing in tropical countries, but was told

that they grew anywhere ! !)


I am convinced that all the Parrakeets of the genus Pyrrhulopsis

need a lot of moisture on their plumage when they moult, for in the

forests where the birds live it rains almost continually.


The Parrakeet in its wretched prison had been almost half-baked

by the terrible heat, but in spite of his condition I took him and I

made his late owner promise to put him in an outdoor aviary where

he could get the rain on his plumage during the time I was away in

Kandavu, until the time I called to take him away with me.


When I came back from Kandavu Island the bird was still in its

wretched prison. It was an old male and was almost as yellow on the

back as on the breast. I thought at first that it was possibly a semi-

lutino but I have since found out that if not given sufficient nourishing

food when moulting the Pyrrhulopsis Parrakeets will grow yellow

feathers which eventually wither and drop out. The bird had a very

strong and goat-like odour, which I have never smelt with any bird

before. I am sure this was due to the bird not being able to bathe and

also not having the right food.


Before leaving Viti Levu, the person from whom I purchased the

bird told me that he knew of another pair at Lautoka which were for

sale. Owing to shortage of time I was unable to procure them but

he said that he would use every effort to send them on to me later ;

at all events I never heard any more about them and I rather doubt

that he was telling the truth.


After a lot of trouble about a permit, for which I had to see the

acting governor and answer a great many rather awkward questions,

I got my treasure away on the boat.


To say that the journey from Fiji to New Zealand was a nightmare



