48 Bourke'^ P((nakeel. 



Bourke's Parrakeet 



{jSleo2ihe)iia Bourl'd). 

 By Hubert D. Astley, M.A., F.Z.S., AI.D.O.l . 



Whilst six of tlie seven si)ecie.s of the family of Mcophcuia 

 which are known, liave green as the prevailing colour; J'ourkc's 

 Parralceet, the seventh, strikes out a line of its owji, with the 

 upper parts of soft niou,('- brown, and the delieate rose and 

 forget-me-not blue of the underparts, and the mouse -brown 

 has Budgerigar-like seallopings of a pale yellow on the wings, 

 with a touch of blue at tiie shoulders. 1 have had as many 

 as twenty -two of these beautiful little birds, which after all, 

 are not so eery much larger than a Budgerigar, in my 

 aviaries. Quiet and inoUensive amongst other species, they 

 hold their own amongst each other at nesting time, an old 

 male driving away his fellows, ii they came too near the hollow 

 log or coco-nut husk in which his mate is sitting on her four 

 or five round white ^'i^'t^'-^. When he is courting, he si)reads 

 his wings out at the shoulders as a display, and his tail 

 feathers too, uttering subthied chirrups, which are not unlike 

 ehose of a Budgerigar, l)ut of a softer and less shi'ill tone. 

 There are also faint warbling iioics. but the Buurke is altogether 

 an extremely yentle, ([uiet iutlc bird, and his gaiety is very 

 inoffensive and restrained. Ife is never boisterous: he is 

 almost dull at times. If he could suddenly become incarnated 

 in a human l»ody, I feel he would suddenly join a body 

 of old-fashioned Quakers, and certainly never kick over the 

 traces, or appear hi connection with any society scandal! 



His wile has (lisa])peared and commenced her maternal 

 duties before you are awai'c there had been nuicli thought 

 about it, and the same duties are generally in full swing 

 before February is out. 1 think 1 have two breedhig pairs, 

 who generally produce at any rate two broods, and I have 

 known three, between February and August. The young birds 

 are almost counterparts of their parents, on issuhig from the 

 nest, and almost more lovely, so sleek and plump are they. 

 Their tails and wings are shorter pro tern, and the rose and 

 blue underparts less brilliant. I have seen four or live 



in a row outside a coco -nut, and wondered whethei- it could 

 have held them all. 



