2J(S The (JiK'cir Alcfditdra PiiD'alicet. 



true thai (he great naturalist neitlier mentions the spatulatecl 

 foatliers, nor depicts them in tlie coloured plate, but even tlien 

 I feel convinced he would have named the bird as he did. It 

 may be that he only procured the skin of a female, but it is 

 curious that in the coloured plate of this Parrakeet in the 

 'Avicultural Magazine, Vol. V., Sept., 1899, the artist has also 

 apparentl^> failed to observe this distinctive mark of the male, 

 and the same may be said of the writer of the accompanying 

 article. I know of no published illustration where it is to be 

 found, except in Mr. 8etli- Smith's l)ook " Parrakcets," where 

 an uncolourcd woodcut, of the feather only, appears, ji. 12G, 

 with the tips of six of the primaries, to show the elongation 

 and spat ulat ion of the third. 



Therefore I have endeavoured to jDortray a pair of these 

 birds, and I have no doubt the picture is by no means per- 

 fect, — in which these feathers in the vv'ing of the male bird 

 can be distinctly seen. 



When they are accpiircd I am not sure, I»ut I have a 

 young male in fairly full colour who carries them only ^n 

 eml)ryo as it were, so that they may not put in appearance 

 until the second year, or even the third. Naturally tame and 

 conliding, these Parrakcets make most charming pets, except 

 for their voices, which are shrill and ear-piercing, yet at 

 times the male gives forth some sweet and curious notes, cluck- 

 ing and whistling in a rather fascinating manner. A tame 

 mal(i which I keep by himself in the house is without any 

 fear and is wonderfully intelligent and quick. 



His great delight is to be let out of his cage in a 

 room of large proportions, Avhen he Hies round and round with 

 great swiftness, the pink throat and under tail and ])rilliant 

 grass green of the wings making a very beautiful combina- 

 tion of colours. But I have seen one Hying out of doors, 

 for my oldest hen bird which 1 acquired some 7 or 8 years 

 ago, and which I still have, escaped and shot off like an arrow 

 from a bow, darting in fine circles at a considerable height 

 above the tallest trees, when her extremely pointed Avings and 

 tail were conspicuous. The flight was wonderful. It Avas 

 also an anxious one for me, but 1 got her back towards even- 

 ing (l)y the calling of her mate, and by her natural lack of fear. 



The caged male already mentioned, Avill play Avith me 



