on Mr. Fasey’s Parrakeets.



301



Mr. Fasey may consider himself extremely fortunate to

have secured this pair, the male from one of our members, and

the female from another, the latter, by the way, being one of the

original consignment of some six years ago, though she still

looks as young and beautiful as ever. It is too late, I fear, to

hope for a nest from this pair this year, as they have commenced

to moult, but, with luck and care, there should be a very good

chance of a brood next spring.


In the next compartment were some immature Pennants,

and next to these a Barraband and two Rock Peplers. Then we

came to a fine pair of Yellow-rumps (Platycercusflaveolus ), whose

nest-box contained one egg. I am glad to hear that, since uiy visit,

three more have been laid, and the hen is sitting well. I think I

am right in saying that if this bird brings up a brood it will be

the first instance of young being reared by this species in Great

Britain.*


A pair of New Zealands ( Cyanorhamphus nov<z-zealandi<z)

came next, and the last compartment contained a pair of

Brown’s ( Platycercus broivni), which had but recently arrived.

Mr. Fasey expects, very shortly, to add a pair of Golden-

crowned Parrakeets ( Cyanorhamphus ciuriceps ) to his collection,

which is undoubtedly one of the finest owned by a private

individual in the country.


I wish I could persuade Mr. Fasey to thrash out the

origin of Count Salvadori’s Platycercus erythropeplus, the so-

called Red-mantled Parrakeet. It is intermediate between

the Pennant and the Rosella, and its habitat is unknown ; it

seems most probable that it is nothing more nor less than a

hybrid between the two, though this can only be proved by

experiment, which should not be a difficult matter with Mr.

Fasey’s fine series.


D. Seth-Smith.



* The Yellow-rumps have since hatched.



