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Sydney Porter—Notes on Birds of Fiji



were three of these birds in captivity there, one a magnificent specimen

which, strange to say, was kept in a rather small overcrowded aviary

in company with many other species of birds. He seemed to get along

all right, but he ruled the roost. His brilliant colouring made all the

other birds look drab when compared with him. There was another

pair in Auckland and their owner very generously gave me one of them,

but unfortunately it died before I could take it away. The next two

which I came in contact with were in Fiji—a pair of baby birds which

had been procured for me from Kandavu. They were the sweetest

little things, exceedingly playful and tame, but in very bad plumage.


On the island of Kandavu the Kula is very abundant, especially

around the old native buildings, and its shrill cry of “ lish-lish ” is

heard on every hand. I have often watched them on the flowers of the

tall coco-nut palms, feeding either on the pollen or the honey of the

flowers ; the birds seem to start at the bottom of the spray, running

up licking the flowers quickly with their long brush-tipped tongues

as they go. They often alight on the very ends of the palm fronds and

dance along the mid-rib with the characteristic whisking movements of

the Lory tribe until they get to the flowers at the base of the leaf. The

only time this fairy-like little bird is still is when he spots you, he then

eyes you after the manner of a monkey and after a second or two,

with a shrill “ lish-lish ”, he is off.


They are, indeed, like some gaudy blossom plucked from a

flamboyant tropical tree. One cannot imagine these radiant creatures

coming from any other place than some fair tropical isle in the Southern

Seas. What fitting jewels to grace the tropical greenery of those far

away sunlit emerald isles, with a cap of the deepest purple like the

intenseness of a tropical night, glittering green like the brilliant succulent

grass, and a scarlet that makes even the glow of the hibiscus look dull.


They are never to be seen singly, but either in pairs or small family

parties or flocks up to a dozen or so. A writer recently stated that this

species is in danger of extermination. This fortunately is far from the

case : in fact there is no Parrot-like bird whose prospects of survival

are so bright. It is abundant on nearly all the islands and most of them,

except Yiti Levu and Vanua Levu, are free from the three curses of

bird life—the mongoose, Man, and the rat. The natives hardly ever



