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Sydney Porter—Notes on Birds of Fiji



Before lie could fly very well we used to let him loose in the garden,

and he never wandered away though sometimes he was difficult to find

when he got into a bush or tree and remained quite still. Eventually

he used to get so excited with the attention of a lot of people that he

used to fly away and was only retrieved with difficulty. Once, after

one of his escapades, when they telephoned me up at the office to say

he had flown away, I rushed up and found him trying to push the front

door open with his beak !


I often wonder if these birds eat any insect food in a wild state, for

once, when two Zosterops got into his aviary, he killed and ate them.

He also did the same with a mouse which got fast in the wires.


I am fortunate in also possessing, as well as “ Jimmie ”, a true pair

of these birds : the cock is a magnificent specimen, though when I first

had him he looked a poor enough creature. Once I nearly lost him,

he seemed to go into a decline, but after being kept in a high temperature

and fed upon a variety of nourishing food he recovered. At first he was

so weak that I had to feed him solely on beaten-up egg, milk, and brandy,

which I forced down his throat with a syringe. He is a gentle creature

but has not the confiding nature of the other male. His mate is a real

brute ; we christened her “ Satan ”. She hates the whole human race

and is never slow to show her aversion. As soon as one approaches the

aviary she flings herself against the wires screaming and flapping her

wings with rage, and on entering she has no hesitation in throwing

herself at one and inflicting very severe bites. She usually goes for one’s

feet, for shoes and boots are her aversion, and she can quite easily bite

through thick leather. My bird-boy is simply terrified of her and always

has to close her in one compartment before feeding or cleaning out the

aviary. She sometimes has her “ off ” weeks when she remains quiet

and moody, refusing even to bite or take any notice of one even in the

aviary.


The Ngau Island Parrakeet is by far the largest of the Fijian

Parrakeets and is several inches longer than the Masked Parrakeet.

In colour it is an intense crimson black, similar to the well-known black

tulip ; the tail and the flight feathers are brilliant blue, the back,

secondary flight feathers, and greater wing coverts are an intense

shining green. The feathers of the forehead are thick and hair-like ;



