62 My Birds — In Aviaries and at Liberty. 



cdd spiders I happen to come across. He is always full of 

 life and quite immaculate. Tliat, T think, completes the list of 

 birds in aviaries and cages. 



At liberty at present are a pair of Alexandrine Parrakeets 

 (Palacornis alcxandri), and a cock Brown's Parrakeet (Platy- 

 ccrcus brozvni) mated with a hen Rosella (P. cximius). 



Lord Tavistock very kindly gave me the cock Brown's 

 and the cock Alexandrine, both of which had been loose with 

 him for some time, so that they were well-established "stayers" 

 when they came to me. The Brown's and the Rosella have now 

 been at liberty with me for sixteen weeks, and the Alexandrines 

 for three weeks. The Brown's has a very beautiful combinatiori 

 c f colours in his plumage, of palest yellow, black, apricot and 

 sapphire-blue. He is a slightly smaller bird than the Rosella, 

 and is a very peppery-tempered little fellow, as I've no doubt 

 some of the sparrows in the garden could testify ! since he takes 

 active steps to drive away any who interfere with him while he 

 is feeding. Strange to say, though both these birds were 

 extremely wild and nervous in an aviary, they are not nearly so 

 wild or nervous now that they have complete freedom. 



They are very swift flyers, and have a curious way of 

 flying along at a great pace, until they are just above the tree 

 in which they intend to settle, when they suddenly dive down 

 into it. They spend much of their time on the ground in a 

 vegetable garden, which contains a good deal of the short grass 

 which is nearly always in seed, of which they consume large 

 quantities. 



The Alexandrines are always in evidence, and if you 

 cannot see them sometimes, you can always hear them ! The 

 cock is quite the most affectionate bird I have ever had, and 

 follows me about wherever I go, flying from tree to tree above 

 my head. And though I value his affection very highly, I don't 

 like his way of showing it, which consists of dropping choice 

 mouthfuls of half-digested food down my neck ! He comes 

 every morning, as soon as it is light, to my bedroom window, 

 and sometimes ventures in; but I have to turn him out again, as 

 he is rather fond of testing the sharpness of his beak on my 

 wardrobe and picture frames, and anyone who has kept an 

 Alexandrine will know that his beak is no mean instrument. 



