Some Notes on keeping Parrakects. 99 



Nkw Zealand Red-fronted Parrakeet (Cyanorhamphus 

 noi'ae-Zaalcnd'uic) . 



In the day^ when this bird was freely imported it bore the 

 reputation of beins^ hardy, amiable and prolific. Mine did well 

 on the ordinary diet of seed and green food, and were less 

 intolerant of cage life than the true broadtails. At one time I 

 had two cocks and a hen. One cock quarelled so badly with the 

 latter that I had to remove him ; the other killed her in a large 

 aviary and nearly murdered some other Parrakects as well — so 

 T cannot say I have found the species either amiable or prolifi -J 



Uv-EAX Parrakeet (Nyvjphka uvcrensis). 



This bird shares with its relraive tlie. Horned Parrake':;t 

 < [/ . corniita) ,the reputation of being one of the most difficult 

 of all the parrot family to keej) alivrj in captivity. 



I obtained five in good condition seme time ago; they did 

 well as long as tiiey were kepi in cages in a warm birdroom. 

 but as soon as I turned them into a nice aviary in lovely summer 

 weather they died one af<:er the oth'. i afcer a few days' illness. 

 The post mortem revealed only extreme anaemia and brittleness 

 of the bones. \ had been told ihat tlie .secret of success with 

 Nyniphica was no hemp and plenty of fresh air. Mine died in 

 the fresh air, and throve in the stuffv room, and some had had 

 no hemp before they fell ill. Later I obtained another Uvsean 

 which had come over in tlie same lot and was in bad plumage 

 on arrival. It had been kept in a cage and fed on the usual 

 seed mixture (including hemp), plus maize, peanuts, fruit and 

 green-food. It is still alive and well, though it has never been 

 out of doors. It is quite a tame bird, not unpleasantly 

 noisy, nor as vicious as a tame broadtail. A male Uvaean has 

 also lived for many years in a cage at the Zoo and survived the 

 meagre and monotonous diet to which misplaced economy 

 condemned the animals long before the days of war and rations. 



The sexes are much alike; the female, presumably, has a 

 smaller head and beak. 



Bourke's Parrakeet (Neopscphotus bourkci). 

 This lovely little bird, now approaching extinction, closely 

 resembles the Grass Parrakects in its habits, and should be 



