Correspondence



173



CORRESPONDENCE


Madam, —For a bird to display when suffering from a fatal illness is, of

course, a very rare phenomenon and it is indeed strange that it should ever

occur at all. Until recently I had observed it only in two species—Princess of

Wales’ Parrakeet and Banksian Cockatoo. A tame male of the latter displayed

slightly to a gardener to whom he was very devoted, when the latter paid him

a visit.


Sick Princess of Wales’ Parrakeets I have known to display both to their

mates and, when tame, to human friends. I once had a pair of Princess of

Wales’ ill at the same time and, when they met in the hospital, they displayed

to each other, a rather pathetic sight as it proved to be the cock’s farewell,

for he died a few days later.


Recently a New Guinea King Parrakeet qualified for a place on the list

of heroic invalids. He was suffering from catarrh and cirrhosis of the liver

and was ill for some weeks, but almost up to the last he would display to

a woman visitor. His courtesy in dire adversity was all the more strange

in that the species is one of the most morose of Parrakeets. The Banksian

is a born gentleman and the Princess of Wales a born philanderer, but the

Salwatty King has no manners at all for his own kind and habitually greets

even his wife with an open beak and a volley of bad language.


Yours very truly,


Tavistock.



Madam,— Replying to Dr. W. L. English’s note on the Kea Parrot, it

would, perhaps, be of interest to compare our experience of a pair of N. notabilis

in Dr. J. M. Derscheid’s collection, especially as it differs widely in several

respects.


Our Keas were very shy, retiring to the darkest corners of the shelter

on catching sight of anyone, and it was only on account of their great fondness

for mealworms that we were able to gain their confidence : the cock will

now take mealworms from us at the front of the aviary and is often waiting

there for more, but the hen will not, as yet, come within 6 feet.


This pair will quickly destroy perches or any exposed woodwork in the

aviary and it is evident that their beaks are extremely strong and sharp.


The feet certainly appear to be rather weak and no more capable of

effective grasping than are those of the Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets, which,

in general formation, they rather resemble ; but the beak, though hardly

suited to cracking hard nuts, would, I think, be easily capable of making

a deep incision, and I consider that the Kea would find it much more difficult

to cling to the back of a frantic sheep than to tear the hide and flesh.


These birds do not, I believe, readily bite when handled : they seem to be

too intelligent to be easily panic-stricken.



