Cage-Birds of Calcutta. 41i 



and the dealers depend for their supply on chance " sports/' 

 Yet the form probably has the elements of permanence in it, 

 for Mr. Kutledge assures me that he knows of a case of a pair 

 of normally-coloured birds which always nest in the same 

 tree and always produce a yellow brood, the young being 

 eagerly watched until fit to be taken. Lately I have seen 

 a particularly curious semi-lulino, not splashed, but of a 

 shade midway between green and yellow throughout. 



Nearly as numerous as the common Parrakeet is the larger 

 ''Rock-Parrot'-' (P. nepalensis), but most, if not all, of the 

 examples are, I think, brought in as young birds. In the 

 Tiretta Bazaar there are at the time of writing (February) a 

 good many examples of this species still so young as to show 

 the dark irides which when immature this and the common 

 Ring-neck exhibit. I have never seen a lutino of this large 

 Parrakeet. 



The "Blossom-head'' (P. cyanocephalus) is common in 

 the Bazaar, but is not so popular a cage- bird as the Ring- 

 neck. The Eastern form (P. rosa) is also often to be seen. 

 Another common Palceornis is P.fasciatus, but only quite 

 lately have P. magnirostris, P. schisticeps, and P. columboides 

 appeared here, so far as I am aware, and then there were only 

 a few individuals, except of the last species, of which a good 

 many pairs arrived, and some are still on sale. P.finschi 

 I have seen only once ; the specimen was secured for the 

 London Zoological Gardens by Mr. Harper. 



The common little Lorikeet is often to be met with, and 

 the Malayan Loriculus galgulus is frequently imported, both 

 being in favour as inmates of minor aviaries. I have only once 

 seen L. indicus. The only small foreign Parrot numerously 

 imported besides L. galgulus is the well-known Budgerigar 

 [Melopsittacus undulatus) , which thrives and breeds as well 

 here as elsewhere. Mr. Rutledge has seen escaped birds 

 nesting in the open, but I am not aware that the species 

 has established itself. I have never seen or heard of lutinos 

 of this species in Lidia, though in Europe such are not un- 

 common and are advertised for sale. 



Several of the larger Australian Parrakeets are imported, 



SER. VIII. VOL. I. 2 G 



