found that it returned to his quarters every day, until one day 

 a sporting Subaltern shot it, thinking it a wild bird. 



I have heard that Purple-capped Lories will breed in this 

 climate, and I should very much like to know if such is the 

 case and also how to recognise the sexes. What is the 

 distinctive coloring, if any ? The native from whom I bought 

 him wanted to sell me another bird as the female that 

 certainly was very like the " Purple Cap," with the exception 

 of the cap — his or her head being all over scarlet and the bird 

 considerably smaller in size. As I discovered from a book on 

 Parrots that the hen bird is supposed also to have a purple 

 cap, I discredited the native and refused to buy his bird. 



I have applied to dealers to try and procure me a mate, but 

 so far unsuccessfully. The only fault I have with this bird is. 

 that if left alone, which he cannot bear, he makes a horrid 

 row and screams in an unbearable manner. Is there any 

 means of breaking Parrots of this horrible habit ? His voice 

 when he is attended to and pleased is very pleasing and 

 amusing. 



I also purchased in Bombay Market four Pigmy Hanging 

 Parrakeets with blue crown and a round red spot on breast, one 

 of which escaped and two died of cold on the voyage home. 

 One very cold night at Marseilles, the stupid butcher who had 

 charge of the birds, put them into his store in which all the 

 frozen meat for morning use was put the night previous to be 

 thawed. It, of course, must have been like an ice house. The 

 "Purple-cap" very nearly shared the same fate. 



1 went round the Parrot house at the Zoo, Regent's Park, 

 looking for some similar Pigmies, but I only saw some that 

 had not the remarkable red patch on breast. I cannot 

 make out if they are the same species, and if this is the 

 difference of sexes. The strange habit of hanging from the 

 top of the cage is very curious: they hang just like bats, head 

 down. The head is not inserted under the wing coverts — as is 

 usual with birds, and is generally spoken of as " under the 

 wing," a mode of sleeping unknown amongst birds, though 

 commonly attributed to them. 



I brought from the same market four Blossom-heads, three 

 of which died : they were newly caught and very wild, which I 

 think accounted for the mortality. I have one remaining, but 

 he does not seem very interesting. I bought a pair of very nice 

 little birds, the name of which I do not know. I was much 

 taken with them, thev sang beautifully even in the Gharry 



