292 Sydney Porter—Notes from South America


of granite formation which must have been there in the first

instance.


Partly covering this huge aviary was an enormous flowering creeper

and flitting in and out of the aviary amongst the Condors were lots of

tiny Humming Birds, attracted by the blossoms. It was a unique sight

to see in the same aviary the world’s smallest and largest flying birds

both on the wing together. The Condors took no more notice of the

Hummers than if they had been the flies they looked like when compared

with the huge birds of prey.


This aviary was certainly unique and it is a pity there are not

similar aviaries in European Zoos for the birds of prey ; for I am sure

the birds would do better than in the confined spaces where they cannot

possibly get any sustained wing exercise.


The Parrot House in the Gardens is an amazing structure, resembling

some Eastern Mosque, with towers, domes, and minarets. I rather think

that the builder, in his enthusiasm, forgot about the parrots or whatever

kind of birds the place was intended to house ; consequently the

aviaries which seem to be quite an afterthought, resemble nothing so

much as enlarged eighteenth century Canary cages, stuck on the main

building at various angles, and appear to be the acme of futility and

inconvenience.


There were quite a few interesting parrots however, the rarest of

which was a Glaucous Macaw. It was the first time I had seen

an example of this very rare bird. It had, I was given to understand,

been in the collection for over twenty years and was known to be over

forty-five years of age. Although its plumage was in very good condition

the bird was evidently suffering from senile decay. Besides this, were

Hyacinthine, Red and Blue, Red and Yellow, and Blue and Yellow

Macaws, also such exotics as Grey Parrots, Lesser Lemon Crested,

and Leadbeater’s Cockatoos and the Ara maracana or Illiger’s Macaw.

Of native parrots there were several of the very rare Maximilian’s

Pionus from the North Argentine, the most beautiful of the Pionus

Parrots and a bird I had not seen before. These I understand are not

uncommon in the remote districts where they live and are shot as a pest.

There were many Quaker Parrakeets, which are still common in the

Argentine. I saw a cage full of baby ones in the Sarmiento bird shop



