14



R. H. Masure—A Talking Shell-Parrakeet



very rough shelters are required. One wonders what objections can

be raised against this fancy: they form a group of birds renowned for

their great beauty and again I will say that the great majority are easy

to rear. They are moreover long lived. I personally know of a Reeves

cock that was hatched before the Great War and is still healthy and

happy—its tail length exceeds 5 feet. I know of a Golden cock in

the North of England that is over 20 years old.


In conclusion may I urge any aviculturist who is not ambitious

to raise any ornamental Pheasants to consider running a few cocks with

the smaller birds, such cocks will greatly add to the beauty of the

aviary and the occupants of same.



A TALKING SHELL-PARRAKEET


By Ralf H. Masure


In the spring of 1933, while I was engaged in a maze learning

problem with Shell-Parrakeets at the University of Chicago, my

colleague and I thought it might be wise to raise some of our own

experimental animals. An outdoor aviary was built and a dozen

pairs of mature birds were introduced early in June. Our efforts were

almost fruitless as none of the Parrakeets started breeding until

September and then only one bird was raised before the weather

necessitated bringing the birds indoors.


This bird has become a very talented and remarkable individual

therefore his life story should be interesting. On the second of September

he greeted the world as a small white egg ; seventeen days later he

really appeared as a bird, small, red, and naked, like most any altricial

bird, except for the tiny hooked beak. About three weeks later this

little bird, now completely feathered, was removed from the nest in

order to attempt hand raising. This undertaking did not succeed,

however, probably because the bird was too old. After being out of the

nest for almost twenty-four hours without accepting any nourishment

I placed the young bird back into the next-box where he was affection¬

ately greeted and well fed by his parents. After spending two more



