THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 



and 75 inch in breadth. In one nest my correspondent — Mr. 

 Graham, of Heytesbury Forest — noted two eggs only, which were 

 not eventually added to or hatched, so that an accident must have 

 befallen the owners. In reply to my request, nearly three years 

 ago, that a close observation be kept upon the nidification of this 

 bird, my naturalist correspondent made the following observa- 

 tions, which do him credit : — " This parrakeet is very regular in 

 timing its visit, from 14th to 21st September. Its first concern 

 upon arrival is to tind a suitable stump for nesting, the kind pre- 

 ferred being that about i foot in diameter and 10 feet to 22 feet 

 high, perpendicular, and 2 feet to 3 feet of the top part hollow. 

 This season (1897) I watched the operations of two pairs, and, as 

 their times of action were identical, a description of one will suf- 

 fice : — On 28th September, bird No. i commenced preparing 

 hole by throwing overboard every particle of charcoal and coarse 

 wood from bottom and sides of hole. After the coarser matter 

 was removed, the fine, dry decayed matter was carefully scraped 

 from every hole and crevice around the inside and allowed to fall 

 to the bottom of hole. This work continued until 22nd October, 

 I visited it each day and always found a bird at work, but whether 

 male or female, as you ask, I cannot say — perhaps both, and it is 

 a question for future research. From 22nd to 28th October 

 one bird sat continually, and I got alarmed lest the eggs should 

 be laid during this period, for although I visited it often five 

 times during each day, and remained watching till after dark, 

 during these six days I did not find the bird from the nest. How- 

 ever, on the 28th, the bird had flown and left one egg. A second 

 was laid on 30th October, and from then until 19th November I 

 had no opportunity of seeing what was taking place beneath the 

 sitter, as it could not be persuaded to leave the nest ; rough 

 measures would not do. On this 19th day broken egg-shells 

 pointed to full incubation of one or more eggs. On 21st and 

 23rd November more shells, with bird still keeping close on nest. 

 On 24th November appeared five young birds, with a yellowish 

 downy appearance, and old birds keeping close on nest till 27th 

 November, after which two young birds open their eyes on ist 

 December. On 4th December two young birds appeared, 

 covered with grey, yellowish about head and tail feathers, the 

 latter being i inch long. By loth December two had 

 developed green over body and wings, with a little grey still 

 remaining about the head. The remaining three, being less 

 advanced, were partly coloured green and grey. By 19th 

 December traces of grey had disappeared from all. The first 

 young bird left nest on 20th December. A second left on the 

 following day, 21st. No. 3 left on the 22nd. Nos. 4 and 5 left 

 on 23rd. Towards the end of January, and occasionally as late 

 as the middle of February, one may see the adult birds flying from 



