148 The Siilu Island King Parrakcct. 



the lilac nn head and breast wlien a month old. but at six weeks 

 this had disappeared and is not yet visible a.^'ain. The hen 

 again went to nest in a different l)ox on September 'Hh, and 

 sat for three days, when unfortunately the (irackle disturbed 

 her and ate the e.^'.i;-. I'ntil this date all three birds were 

 constantly tot^ether. and wc saw no sign of the parents chasin.i;' 

 the youn.Q" away. The yoiui.L,^ bird was reared on the usual 

 fruit supplied in the aviary : apple and banana chopped uj) into 

 small dice, soaked currants and dried apricots sliced and soaked, 

 and in addition to these a liberal supply of diluted Nestle 's 

 milk in which sponge cake is soaked. 



The Sulu Island King Parrakeet. 



(A prosmictus suluensis). 



By The Marquis of Tavistock. 



To aviculturists the name " king parrakeet " usually 

 connotes a single species — the well-known Australian 

 A prosmicins c\anopyg'ius, a nice bird in an aviary, an even nicer 

 one at liberty, and an enduring, but unhappy captive in a cage. 

 A few, a very few, bird lovers may have seen the more gorgeous 

 r.reen-winged A prosmictus of New Guinea, but the rest of the 

 Aprosmicti are practically unknown to aviculture. There are, 

 however, three or four other kinds inhabiting New Guinea and 

 the neighbouring islands, all birds of the greatest beauty, and 

 or,e, clad entirely in crimson and dark, glittering blue, fairly 

 making my mouth water when I first saw a skin at the 

 Edinburgh Museum. Among these very rare kings may be 

 included the subject of this article, wdio. for more than three 

 years, has been one of the principal treasures of my collection, 

 which may she long continue to adorn. Like the Layard's 

 Parrakeet mentioned in a previous article, she was brought 

 over in a collection made by Mr. Wilfrid Frost. He succeeded 

 ih obtaining a pair, but the cock. who. I understand, was a 

 much more beautiful bird than this partner, did not survive the 

 voyage — a misfortune I have never ceased to regret. The 



hen Sulu Island is a good third smaller than a common king 

 and more slenderly built. Her general plumage is not unlike 



