244 



worse screamer, but it is a very good talker. The Plum- 

 headed Parrakeet {P. cyanocephala) is very beautiful, bu 

 I have fouud it quiet and stupid in a cage : the Javau 

 Parrakeet {P. fasciata) is the only other species commonly 

 imported. There are three species which are occasion- 

 ally but rarely seen ; these are the Malabar Parrakeet 

 (P. pe7-isierodes), the Lucian Parrakeet (/', modesta), and 

 the INIalaccan Parrakeet {P. longicavda). 



PorA'TELTS.— Barraband's Parrakeet [P. hmrahnmH) 

 is the only representative of this genus imported into 

 England. It is an Australian species. and5,but seldom 

 oifered for sale. I have never kept it, though I un- 

 successfully endeavoured to obtain a specimen for some 

 years. It is a ver}- beautiful bird, of a bright grass 

 green, with a face of citron yellow, and a band of deep 

 crimson across the throat. Opinions differ as to the 

 difficulty of keeping this Parrakeet in confinement. 

 Many specimens appear to die from fits when newly im- 

 ported, others live for years without any trouljle on a diet 

 of canary and hemp. It is said to feed on the flower of the 

 wattle shrub in its native haunts, and to be partly insec- 

 tivorous. Should I ever obtain a specimen, I should feel 

 disposed to feed it on the diet I have found successful in 

 the case of tlie Many-coloured Parrakeet, that is, canary 

 and hemp seed with a liberal daily allowance of fruit. 

 Barraband's Parrakeet does not seem to be very suscep- 

 tible to cold. 



Aprosmictus.— The King Parrakeet {A. scapulatus) 

 and the Crimson Wing {A. erythroptejus) are two Aus- 

 tralian species which are too well known to need 

 description. Their beauty of plumage is their chief 

 attraction, as they are not ver}- intelligent and do not 

 learn to talk. They are perfectly hardy and require the 

 usual vSeed diet. 



(To be continued) . 



