258 Breeding of Swaiiisoji's Lorikeets. 



aviary at the other end of tlie garden in the company of a hen 

 Bauer's Parakeet, a Roselia and a pair of Necklace Doves. It 

 settled down, but the noise early in the morning that he made in 

 answer to its father's calls was distracting". By this time it was 

 very tame and would eat anything from the hand. At the side 

 of this aviary I had a big bank of tobacco plants, and some of the 

 flowers were growing through the wires; the young Lorikeet 

 spent a considerable time sucking nectar from the flowers, milk- 

 sop was taken freely, and it would stand on my hand to suck 

 honey out of a spoon. By now the bird is just the same as the 

 parents, except that the plumage is so much brighter and has 

 such a beautiful gloss. 1 feel certain it is a cock bird, as it is 

 larger than the hen, and the beak has a stronger appearance. 

 This distinction exists between the parents. 



When the young bird had been apart from the parents 

 two or three days I was feeding it through the wires with some 

 ripe pear, and it suddenly, wath a loud shriek, dashed across the 

 aviary. I was surprised at this, and upon looking round in the 

 distance I saw a hawk. The instinct of birds is certainly won- 

 derful, and one only thinks that if we had known our enemies, 

 even at close quarters, how much better prepared we would 

 have been for this gigantic world-war. How strange that the 

 lower creation should have this perception which we have 

 lacked ! 



The notes that I have made have in nearly all cases been 

 week-end notes, as I am continually away. 



The parents are now quite reconciled, except that the cock 

 bird only, occupies the barrel at night. One week recently 

 while I was away, my wife found that the cock bird was lying on 

 his side in the barrel. She was not aware of course that this was 

 a custom with these birds, and thinking" it w'as ill, placed a small 

 dish of food in the barrel for him to eat. He apparently had no 

 objection to taking his breakfast in bed, and when I returned it 

 was reported to me that he had been ill for a day or so, and this 

 kindness had been shown him. Now that the matter has been 

 explained there will be no repetition of this indulgence. 



