L170 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 
The Cockatiel has been for many years much exported 
from Australia, and is a. great favourite in Europe, as it 
breeds more freely than any other Parrot except the 
Budgerigar. It can generally be had also in Calcutta at 
a reasonable price, and is equally ready to breed in 
captivity there ; a solitary hen will even lay in a cage. 
In the Calcutta Zoological Garden a pair bred in a small 
aviary where they had for companions a pair of African 
Spotted Pigeons (Columba guinea) and an English Song- 
Thrush. Of the latter they took no notice, but the male 
was constantly attacking the Pigeons, although they 
were twice his size, and easily beat him off with their 
wings. This was while the sitting and rearing was going 
on; when the young Cockatiels came out fledged the 
Pigeons had their revenge, and pecked one nearly to 
death. Another pair of Cockatiels in another compart- 
ment showed themselves very unfriendly to a pair of 
Red-crested Cardinals confined with them ; so that the tem- 
per of these birds is evidently not trustworthy in Bengal, 
where tempers generally are apt to give way on a slight 
strain. In England the Cockatiel has the reputation of 
being the gentlest of all Parrots, so that it can safely 
be kept with the smallest Finches. 
A young male Cockatiel taken from the nest and reared 
by hand makes a delightful pet ; it will learn to talk, and 
become so tame that it can be let out to fly about in the 
open. Altogether, next to the Budgerigar, the Cockatiel 
is the most desirable of all aviary birds, and is one of 
those which are practically certain to give satisfaction, and_/ 
so eminently suited for the beginner in aviculture. 
