To the EDITOR of THE CONDOR, Sir: As you are, I believe, aware, I am much interested in breeding rare parrakeets with the object of saving in captivity species that are threatened with extinction in a wild state. I have been trying to induce American aviculturalists to take up the experiment, and have received con- siderable assistance from Mr. Charles Metzget of 6312 S. Ashland Avenue, Chi- cago. Mr. Metzger is unable to keep any rare parrakeets himself, but he has been most active in writing to possible helpers and in collecting information. Some of the facts that have come to light as a result of his enquiries are very interesting. In the first place the climate of California has been shown to be admirably suited to the success of the venture. Some of the more delicate species that are in urgent need of preservation have actually been bred in considerable numbers under con- ditions of aviary management I should consider far from ideal. Birds which, by reason of their quarrelsome disposition, I should never keep except in pairs, have been turned into an aviary with a number of their own kind and various other parra- keets and yet have reared numerous young. We have also ascertained that there are already in the hands of certain Californian aviculturalists stocks of Elegant (?) Grass Parrakeets (Neophema elegans), Bourke Parrakeets (Euphema bourkii) and per- haps Turquoisine Pataknets (Neophema pulchella). All this is most encouraging, but there is another side to the picture. Few, if any, of the owners of these price- less avian treasures seem to have the least idea of their value. They just let them take their chances in a mixed collection, and sometimes clear them out to make room for the semi-domestic Budgerigar or for some other common species that hap.- pens to take their fancy. There seems to be a very general ignorance as to what parrakeets are really rare, that is, rare in a wild state, and as to what are a legiti- mate source of pride to the breeder. Mealy Rosellas (Platycercus pallidiceps), which exist in thousands in Australia, may be as much valued as the rarest grass parra- keets, simply because they happen to be temporarily scarce in the bird trade; while a person who has bred rare grass parra- keets will often mention the breeding of the common and hardy Indian Ringnecks as though that were an avicultural feat of equal interest and calling for equal skill! I should like to urge upon American naturalists the importance of making the most of their opportunities before it is too late. They have, in California, the right climate and conditions; that is a fact already demonstrated. They have also, on the spot, stocks of at least two species which are in urgent need of preser- vation. It is not unlikely that there are, at the present time, more Bourke Parra- keets in California than there are wild in their native land, so exceedingly scarce has the species become in its natural state. Surely it is worth while to get in touch at once with the owners of rare parrakeets, impress upon them the importance and value of their birds, and make arrange- ments to buy from them all surplus stock they are willing to part with for a sys- tematic breeding experiment to be con- ducted under the best conditions. Up to the present, Mr. Metzger and I have not had much support when it comes to the question of the actual provision of the right type of aviary, that is, a move- able one of sufficient size, that occupies a fresh site each year and normally con- tains one breeding pair only. People with the means to build aviaries. lack .the in- clination to do so and others who would like to save the birds cannot afford to build and have not the ground available. As in this country, there seems to be a strong prejudice in favor of the old type of fixed aviary, which is considered quite good enough, and the suggestion that a moveable aviary is a necessity is regard- ed as rather fanciful. In the case of Eng- land I have proved beyond any possible doubt that, except for Budgerigars, which are almost unique in their ability to with- stand the bad effects of stale ground, moveable aviaries are indispensable to the rearing of generation after generation of healthy parrakeets which do not deterio- rate in stamina and fertility. I do not wish to be dogmatic about what is neces- sary in a climate as profoundly different as that of California, but it is at least possible that the evil effects of breeding in fixed aviaries may make themselves ap- parent in the long run, even though, for a few generations, no harm may seem to result. It is surely better to be on the safe side and start with an outfit which has been proved satisfactory, rather than leave anything to chance. I might, perhaps, point out that any of the following are well worth breeding in view of their probable extinction in a wild state at no very distant date. The Fijian Masked Parrakeet (Pyrrhulopsis personata); any of the parrakeets of the genus Cyanorhamphus, of which the New Zealand C. novae-zealandiae and auriceps are the best known; the Australian Plic- ated Parrskeet (Porphyrocephalus spur- ius); the Paradise Parrskeet (Psephotus pulcherrimus); the Australian Night Par- rakeet (Pezoporus wallieus) if not, as is to be feared, already totally extinct; the Ground Parrskeet (Geopsittacus occiden- talis); Bourke Parrskeet (Euphema bourkii); the Orange-bellied Grass Parrs- keet (Neophema chrysogastra); the Ele- gant Grass Parrskeet (Neophema ele- gans); the Rock Grass Parrakeet (Neo- phema petrophila); the Blue-winged Gras Parrakeet (Neophema venusta); the Tur- quoisine Parrakeet (Neophema pulehella) and the Splendid Grass Parrakeet (Neo- phema splendida). The first four Neophemae are easily confused by anyone not familiar with the genus, and to avoid the production of crossbred birds of no scientific interest the following distinctions should be borne in mind. The Orange-bellied is the greenest of the four; it has, as its name implies, a patch of orange on the belly, but this fea- ture is frequently met with in brightly colored. adult males of elegans, venusta and petrophi/a, so it is of no value for purposes of distinction. The most note- worthy point of difference is in the frontal band, which is of a not particularly in- tense blue and is wide and rather indefi- nite in shape, recalling a female Turquoi- sine. The Elegant Grass Parrakeet has a narrow frontal band of intense blue; the wing shows a narrow strip of blue of two distinct shades, pale turquoise at the edge, dark farther in. This bird is commonly confused with the Blue-winged Grass Par- rakeet, and many of the latter are sold as Elegants. The Rock Grass Parrakeet is the most soberly colored of the genus. The pre- vailing color is a brownish olive green, and the blue areas on forehead and wing are smaller and less vivid than in the case of N. elegans. The Blue-winged Grass Parrakeet is the only member of the genus that occurs in Tasmania (Gould appears to be in error in supposing that the Orange-bellied is found there) and it is the one which is most often caught and offered by bird dealers. It may readily be distinguished from the true Elegant by the fact that the blue wing patch is nearly twice the width and is all of the same dark shade. In conclusion may I suggest that the preservation of a rare and beautiful bird is a matter of importance to all true orni- thologists whose interest in bird life goes deeper than the mere study of museum skins. Many persons who live in the colder parts of the States, or who have no facilities for keeping live birds, might surely be willing to offer financial help. Unless they receive outside aid, Califor- nian aviculturalists may not be able to do all that is needed to save the threatened species from final extinction. Yours truly, TAVISTOCK, Warblington House, Hayant, Hants, May 5, 1956.