220 The (Jiirr/i Alr.ra iidra Pdri'dhrct. 



Mr. Seth-Sniitli in " I'ari'akeet.s " write.s that the Alex- 

 andra Pai-rakeet \v;i,s met (hirin;,'- the Horn P]xpedition ,to 

 Central Australia in 181)4, and Mr. Keartland who accompanied 

 the cxp.edition, write.s as follows regarding the si)Ocies : — 



" The advance ivarty liad halted f(ir Iiuudi, and on my 

 "arrival Ptd^'ssor Tate ;-,a'd 1k' liad se 'ii a strange-looking Parrot 

 " in the oaks near at hand. I stai't'd oil' in the direction indicated, 

 " and aftei' .going about two yards saw what at licst appeared to 

 " he a. Cockatoo -l^UTot Hying towards nu'. Having carefully noted 

 " the hranch on which it was peiched, I hurried forward, hut not- 

 " withstanding the sj.-'arsc foliage of the tree, I had to look care- 

 " fully for some minutes before I found it. Immcdialely the shot 

 " was liced, a nund)er of these b autil'ul l)irds flew out of the 



trees in all directions, in twos, and thi'ees, and fours 

 " I have since hoard that one of their breeding ])laces has been 

 " discovered on the Hale rivei'." 



Writing to Mr. North under date of 28th April, 1895, 

 Mr. Keartland remarks [Mr. Setli- Smith tells us] : — 



"'Mr. Winnick, one of the members of our late expedition 

 " lias sent me ii jniir of live Pol>/\Wis a'e.randrcc. I never saw 

 " Pari'ots ,.Mj lame and gentle. Tliey will fly off the top ])ei't'h in 

 " t.he aviary on to my .-irui and eat seed out of my hand, and allov/ 

 '■ me to stroke them." 



These Parrakeets seem, from accounts given, to be 

 renuirkably fearless and tame, even in a wild state. When 

 I go in'o {' e aviary where inine are, they are fond of Hying 

 down to the giound and of running quickly about one's feet, 

 I)erching on the pail used for refuse, and often climbing down 

 into it to hunt for food which they seem to begrudge l)eing 

 carted away. They eat all kinds of seed, as well as apple 

 and grapes, etc., and simply delight in plenty of chick-weed 

 and groundsel when in season. 



Individual males can apparently l)e spiteful and (puirrel- 

 somc, but as a rule they agree together. They are wonderful 

 birds to whose beauty no painting can really do justice, and 

 one never tires of admiring them. Every time one sees them 

 their great beauty comes to one as freshly as when one first 

 saw them. I have two males and five females. Is one 

 ever content? I should like forty 1 



P.S.-Sii c ! wiitiiig these notes the birds have neste(r The two m.ilei liave been re- 

 peatedly .seen to mate with nioi-e than one female, .and aU the females have eitlier laid eggs or 

 have been anxious to nest all the summer. One of these has had two clutehes but slie brcike 

 tlieniby jumiing clown on them in a deep nesting box. 1 now have more than one young 

 (^ueen Alexandra's hatched out, the first being born about July '2oth. 



