THE NOBLE PARRAKEETS. 199 



another flies secretly away. In countries where they are not 

 pursued, as in India, they are, however, so bold that they build 

 their nests in trees standing in the open spaces in thickly popu- 

 lated towns, or in the holes of lofty buildings. 



Travellers tell us that in their native lands many varieties may 

 be seen half tame in the villages, where they not only build as 

 mentioned above, but also are fed with the domestic fowl. These 

 parrakeets are great favourites among the natives, and are often 

 seen with them, in cages or chained to rings. Many species are 

 taken from the nest and reared by hand in great numbers, but 

 the majority of those imported are certainly birds which have 

 been captured by means of large nets at drinking places and the 

 like. These latter are also easily tamed and trained ; and of those 

 which come to us, not only do the young birds, taken from the 

 nest and brought up by hand, but even those caught when old, 

 become in a comparatively short time tame and affectionate, and 

 prove themselves possessed of an aptitude for being trained. 



Among the various species of the Noble Parrakeets the capacity 

 for speech differs in an extraordinary degree, even in individual 

 birds of one and the same species ; yet, as in the case of the great 

 Short-tailed Parrots, it is to be remarked that by far the greater 

 number have proved themselves good speakers, and but few are 

 incapable of good training. 



The above remarks especially concern one group, the so-called 

 Alexandrine Parrakeets ; the charming, easily bred Blossom- 

 headed or Eose-headed Parrakeets {Psiitacus FalceoTnis cyano- 

 cephalus, L., and P. rosicejos, Essseu,, P. rosa, Bdd.), the pecu- 

 liar and beautifully-coloured Malabar Parrakeet {P. jjei'isterodes, 

 Fnsch.), &c., have not as yet proved themselves gifted with 

 speech. Of course, I must exclude those which do not speak, 

 and confine myself to the description of the Alexandrine Parra- 

 keets. 



They are healthy, hardy birds, which may be easily kept for 

 years in a cage with simple management, being fed only with 

 seeds — such as hemp, oats, canary-seed, and maize — with the 

 addition of good fruit, and some biscuit and egg-bread. To this 

 simplicity of treatment is joined the above-mentioned quality of 

 special interest to readers of this work — namely, that they are 

 among the best speakers ; and some species come near, or even 

 excel, the Amazons and Grey Parrot, besides which they are 

 exceedingly tame, amiable and gentle. They may, on the other 

 hand, be reckoned among the worst screamers, and sometimes 



