LOVE-BIRDS. 



217 



upper tail-coverts and the duller-coloured tail, which is 

 leddish, blue, black, and green in bands; the under- 

 surface of the winfjs is dark grey. The hen diifera from 

 the cock in the paler red colouring of the frontid patch, 

 which is also generally latlier more restricted ; she is a 

 trifle smaller than the male ; her beak is shorter, more 

 arched, when viewed from aibove it forms a short cone 

 as compai-ed with tiliat of Jier itKite. Hab., "South- 

 western Africa, from Angola to Great Namaqua-Land, 

 and, axx;ording to Layard, also South-Eastern Africa, en 

 tlie Limpopo." (Salvador!.) 



Messrs. Stark and S<;later say (" Biixls of SoutJi 

 Africa." Vol. III., pp. 232, 255): "The only notice of 

 the habits of this little Parrot is tliait of Anderson, 

 which is as follows : ' 'ITiis species is always observed in 

 small flocks, and seldom far away from water, to which 

 it resorts at least once a day, and is consequently not a 

 bad guide to a thirsty traveller ; though if he be in- 

 experienced it would har<lly avail him much, as it fre- 

 quently hiippens that the drinking places resorted to by 

 this and other water-loving birds are but of small 

 compass and strangely situated. 



" ' This species is very swift of flight, and the little 

 flocks in which it is observed seem to flash upon tho 

 sight a,s they change their feeding-grounds or pass to 

 and from their drinldng-place ; their flight, however, is 

 only for a comparatively short distance at a time. 

 They utter rapid and shrill notes when on fne wing, or 

 when suddenly disturljed or alarmed. Their food con- 

 sists of large berries and beny-Uke seeds. 



" ' This bird does not make any nest of its own, but 

 takes possession of those l:)elonging to other birds, espe- 

 cially the Social Weaver Bird (Phihtatrus socius) and 

 the White-browed Weaver Bird {Ploccijiasser maluxli). 

 I cannot say whether it forcibly ejects the rightful 

 owners of these nests, or merely occupies such as have 

 been abandoned, but in the case of the first-named 

 species, I have seen the Pan-ots and Weaver Birds in- 

 cubating in about equal numbers under the shelter of 

 the same friendly roof. The egg is pure white, not 

 unlike a Woodpecker's, but more elongate*!.' Examples 

 in the South African Museum measure 0.92 by 0.69." 



This species was first bred at the Berlin Aquarium, 

 subsequently by Dr. Russ and various other German 

 aviculturists. Mr. Cocksedge bred eight specimens 

 {vide The Avicidtiiral Magazine, Vol. V.). Tlie laying 

 consi-sts of from three to five eggs, which the hen alone 

 incubates, being fed by tlie cock bird. As a rule three 

 brood.'' are produced, but Russ states that when not pre- 

 ^■ented six and even seven Iiroods have been produced 

 ill succession ; if, however, this is- permitted, the hen is 

 likely to die. Deserted eggs of this species have been 

 successfully hatched and reared by Budgerigars. 



Being tempted by the soft colouring and the hope of 

 breeding a remunerative stock at a time when this 

 species .still fetched a high price. I (some years ago) 

 asked Mr. Abrahams to send me a pair. Alas 1 I soon 

 regretted the action, for not only did both birds spend 

 tile whole day in trying to poJe-axe their compajwons 

 with blows of tlieir powerful beaiks, but from dawn to 

 sundown they kept up one unending ear-piercing raeket 

 resembling the .sound of an ungreased trainwheel at 

 express speed. The torture of this intolerable din was 

 fo unbearalile that friends and neiglibours alike began 

 to glare upnn me. nntil at last, after bearing up bravely 

 for several days, I was compelled to throw mvself upon 

 the mercy of my friend, who generously took them 

 back. 



Some years later I became possessed of two hens, but 

 i am ashamed to say I have forgotten who gave them 

 to me. I put them into a flight-cage, at the back of 



which was hung up a receptacle of the cigar-box type 

 (" Hints on Cage-Birds," p. 41), in which they deposited 

 several eggs which I discovered too late to preserve thorn 

 for my collection. I believe I exchanged one of tliese 

 hens with Mr. Seth-Smith ; the other lived until. 

 January 28th, 1901. 



Tlie first sijecimen exhibited at the London Zoo- 

 logical Gardens was purchased in 1862, and others were- 

 added sulisequently. 



Black-cheekkd Love-bird (Ayapornis nigrigenis). 

 Green, flecked with bluish above; upper tail-coverts- 

 brighter ; front edge of wing yellow ; flights dusky,. 

 washed with bluish-green on outer webs ; tail dark 

 green ; all the lateral feathers with a red shaft-stripe 

 and a dusky subterminal six>t ; hinder half of head and 

 neck washed with olive; front half of forehead and 

 crown sienna-brown ; sides of face, including ear- 

 coverts and throat, purplish-black ; under surface yel- 

 lowdsh-green .streaked with yellow on flanks ; a patch 

 of sahnon-red on lower throat; beak coral-red, nearly 

 white at base ; feet fle.sh-coloured ; orbital ring white ; 

 irides pale yellowish-hazel. Female slightly smaller and 

 duller in colouring, the forehead and fix>nt of crown 

 darker and duller ; front edge of wing green ; the orbital 

 ring narrower ; the beak less sruiiused at base with 

 white, and not quite so full. Hab., Mugnazi River, 

 North-West Rhodesia. 



This species was only described in 1906. and in April. 

 1908, a small consignment reached the London market 

 by way of Germany. Others mu.st have come to hand 

 subsequently, judging by the number shortly afterwards- 

 in the jxissession of various aviculturists. On January 

 23rd. 1909, Mr. Babb brought a pair round to my house 

 ill oi-der to get my opinion as to whether they actually 

 were of opposite sex. This I had no hesitation in 

 deciding to be the case, judging from the differences 

 indicated in the preceding description. 



In llie. Avicultunil Magazine for Oct., 1908 

 (Second Series, Vol. VI., pp.' 317-329), Messrs. H. D. 

 Astley and Reginald Phillipps published accounts of 

 the species, illustrated by a most characteristic coloured 

 plate of the two sexes. Mr. Phillipps described his 

 success in breeding the species in his bird room, which 

 opens into one of his garden aviaries. The birds went 

 to nest in June, carrying chips of dead poplar, ha.y, 

 wheat stalks, spray millet stalks, and sticks, in their 

 beaks, to the log in which they proposed to lay. The- 

 first egg was believed to have been laid on June 20, 

 and by the 23rd there were two eggs in tlie nest. They 

 were, as usual, white, but of a much elongated pear 

 shape (unlike the eggs of .1. cana, A. pullaria, and A. 

 roseicollis). In all four eggs were laid and the yci.ng 

 reared, the first bird leaving the nest on Aug. 22 (see- 

 continuation of Mr. Phillipps' article (Vol. VII., pp. 

 31-36). On Aug. 30 apparently the first egg of a second 

 clutch was laid. 



From what Mr. Phillipps observed, the female seems 

 to incubate alone, the male not feeding her. so far as he- 

 could ascertain, until after the young were hatched. 

 Those who desire more information respecting this 

 beautiful species should read through the whole of Mr. 

 Phillipps' very interesting article. 



The next birds to be considered are the Hanging 

 Parrakeets (Lnriciilus) ; quaint little creatures, which 

 always sleep suspended head downwards from a branch 

 or perch. They are characterised by their somewhat 

 slender beaks, the upper mandible of which is long- 

 and not much curved. In their wild state the Hanging 

 Parrakeets feed upon honey and fruit; therefore in- 



