_'30 More Xotcs on Swains oil's Lorikeets. 



More Notes on Swainson's Lorikeets. 



Bv Maurick Amslkr. AJ.B., F.Z.S. 



Sir Leo Cliioz/.a Money "s triumphs with his Swainson's 

 Lorikeets have tempted me to add to the literature on this 

 suhject, wliile the interest in these birds is still fresh. 



Mv l)irds came to me from Mr. hrostick in Xox'emhcr 

 19 lO, and were from the first in perfect health and feather, in 

 fact they appear never to have had a feather out of place or a 

 trace of shaljbiness durin;^" their three years sojourn with me- 

 \ery different from the Broad-tails, for instance, who become 

 verv disreputable in appearance when moulting;' in Septendjer. 



For a time after their arrival they were kept in a larL^'c 

 cage in my sitting-room, and apart from requiring somewhat 

 frecjuent cleaning", made delightful and interesting i)ets. No 

 other species that 1 know is so kitten-like in its behaviour as 

 these Lorikeets (the nearly-allied Red-naped behave in much the 

 same way) — they roll each other over on the cage fioor, and 

 drag one another around the cage as if they were having a bout 

 of " ju-jitsu;" the next moment they have perhaps disapjieared 

 into their nest-box. the racket reminding one of a party of 

 children turned loose, in the nursery. 



As the birds became more at home in their new quarters 

 they gradually but steadily developed their power of " song,' 

 which soon became too constant and nerve-racking even for 

 me — this ended in their seclusion in an empty room, wdiere again 

 there followed a period of silence, which, unfortunately, did 

 not last long. During the winter I frequently noticed the birds 

 mating, and in b'ebruary 1917 I discovered two eggs (the usual 

 clutch) in the nest-bo.x. These were not ]:)roperly incubated, 

 and soon got broken. 



In .\pril I turned the pair out into an axiary containing' 

 a mixed collection of I'road-tails. Ring-necks, etc. Thev 

 behaved perfectly until June, when I suspected them of entering 

 niv Red-rumps' nest-box and destroying" their eggs. Thev 

 were not given the benefit of the doubt and were at once removed 



