100 Some Notes on keeping Parrakects. 



treated in nuicli tlie same way- Tlie diet should consist ot 

 millet, spray millet, canary, henij). and i^rass seed. Chickweed 

 and other i^^reen food may be offered, but the Boiirke is usually 

 well content with dry seed alone. The sexes are very difficult 

 to distinguish; some cocks have a blue frontal band. Imt many 

 have none and are only to be told from liens by being a shade 

 pinker and more richly coloured. 



Eourkes will breed freely in a good-sized aviary, but not 

 in a small one; breeding pairs are best kept separate when 

 nesting, as they are apt to fight and pluck each other's young, 

 and I have even known one cock to kill another. The nest barrels 

 should only be put up in the summer months, when two broods 

 mav be reared in succession: winter breeding is risky and not 

 to be recommended. Bourke's possess one great drawback ■ 

 they have an inveterate habit, particularly when young, of killing 

 themselves by flying against wire netting; consequently the roof 

 and sides of their flight must be protected by an inner lining of 

 string netting, or, if other birds are kept with them, by fine 

 twiggy branches instead. They are somewhat sensitive to 

 septic fever in fection, and also to necrosis, but with proper care 

 and cleanliness are not difficult to keep in good health. 



During the winter Bourkes should be kept shut up at 

 night and on cold days, but they do not need artificial heat as 

 a rule. 



They do not agree very well with other small Parrakeets, 

 but are generally safe with finches. Their cry is a gentle, 

 musical twitter. 



GRASS PARRAKEETS. 



A family of beautiful little birds, all of which are threat- 

 ened with extinction, two species having apparently alread^^ 

 vanished. They should be fed on millet, canary, grass seed and 

 hemp, with plenty of green-food and apple if they will eat it 

 They should be treated in most respects like Bourke's Parrakeet, 

 and they have the same unlucky propensity for killing them- 

 selves against wire. They are highly sensitive to septic fever 

 but seldom suffer from other ailments — except chills. 



