36 



shaken out and separated one from the other and par- 

 tially extended upwards. The erection of the ruff 

 takes place either when the bird is excited, or when 

 the back of its neck is rubbed, and at such times the 

 wings are slightly raised and the plumage of the under- 

 parts shaken loose ; on such occasions the beautiful 

 markings and colours of the underparts are fully 

 brought out, the spangling being very clear. I find I 

 have omitted to say earlier that across the red and 

 blue plumage of the chest there is a wash of yellowish 

 green, forming a slight band across the chest. When 

 the feathers are extended and the ruff erected (as seen 

 in plate) it imparts to him quite a fierce as well as a 

 magnificent appearance. 



Dr. Butler in "Foreign Bird Keeping" quoting 

 Schomburgh, sa3^s : "That it is less abundant than 

 " the typical parrots ; it lives chiefly in pairs, more 

 " rarely in little companies, affects the lower woods in 

 " the vicinity of settlements, is confiding, easily tame- 

 " able, but delicate and unteachable. Its cry sounds 

 " like Hia-Hia (the English equivalent would be Hea- 

 " Hea) ; it moreover nests in tree-holes, and lays more 

 " than two eggs, occasionally four." As regards the 

 above I can only say that it is neither delicate, nor yet 

 unteachable, in fact just the opposite, for I consider it 

 robust, and certainly to be numbered among the most 

 intelligent of parrots. The late Dr. Russ considered 

 this species as far and away one of the most beautiful 

 and interesting of parrots ; from the same source we 

 learn that it is only singly and rarely imported. The 

 Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton considers the bird trea- 

 cherous and inclined to bite. The Hon. and Rev. 

 Dutton must have been unfortunate in his specimen. 



