314 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



creature, with a red bill, blue head and face, orange red 

 breast and sides, blue belly, and the remaining parts green. 

 It is a honey feeder naturally, and subject to fits if fed on 

 seed. Appropriately treated, it will live for a long time in 

 confinement, and breed irecly. The female is smaller, but 

 otherwise like her mate. They are very savage when 

 nesting, and are then dangerous companions for other birds. 

 Rice boiled in milk, well sweetened with honey or cane sugar, 

 will keep them in health for years, and they enjoy a few 

 fresh ants' eggs and mealworms now and then. 



The EcLECTUS is from New Guinea, and presents the 

 curious anomaly of brilliant red and purple in the female, 

 while the male is grass green, with a red patch on the side. 

 There are several species. In confinement they eat the 

 seeds of all kinds of fruit. 



The PoLYTELEs are Bakr.vbaxd's, also called Green Leek, 

 and the Black-Tailed Parrakeet, or Rock Pepler. The 

 former is green, with an orange red shield on the breast, 

 and the latter is a mixture of black, dark olive brown, and 

 yellow, with a black tail. Both are very subject to 

 ophthalmia in confinement, and when attacked with it, 

 generally die. They are not particularly interesting birds. 



The Red-Winged and the Kinc; Parhakeets are larger 

 sized birds, of a bright grass green ; the former lias a spot 

 of vivid red on the wings, and the male of the latter 

 species has the head, neck, and breast of a rich crimson 

 tint; on the wing shoulder is a small patch of verditer 

 blue green. 



These birds must have as much variety as possible of 

 food, for if confined to one sort, they will sulk, and often 

 get so weak that they waste away, and die from sheer 

 debility. Both species have frequently bred in confine- 

 ment. 



The next group, that of the Grass Parrakeets, so 



