PALJEORNIS. 85 



Palaeornis torquatns (Bodd.). The Rose-ringed Paroquet. 



Palaeornis torquatus (Bodd.\ Jerd. B. Ind. \, p. 257 ; Hume. Rough 

 Draft N. fy E. no. 148. 



So far as my experience goes, March is the month in which the 

 majority of our common Hose-ringed Paroquets lay ; but I have 

 taken the eggs as early as the 5th of February, and as late as the 

 3rd of May, though this latter date is, I believe, quite exceptional. 



Mr. Adam remarks : " On the 22nd January I observed a pair 

 of Parrots scooping out a bole in a neem-tree on the Agra and 

 Muttra Road, and on the 30th January I observed a pair with a 

 nest in a mud wall." 



Captain Hutton correctly notices that " at the pairing-season 

 the female of this species becomes the most affected creature 

 possible, twisting herself into all sorts of ridiculous postures, in 

 order, apparently, to attract the notice of her sweetheart, and 

 uttering a low twittering note the while in the most approved 

 style of flirtation, while her wings are half-spread and her head 

 kept rolling from side to side in demigyrations ; the male, sitting 

 quielly by her side, looking on with wonder as if fairly taken 

 aback, and wondering to see her make such a guy of herself. 

 I have watched them during these courtships until I have felt 

 humiliated at seeing how closely the follies of mankind resembled 

 those of the brute creation. The only return the male made 

 to these antics was scratching the top of her head with the point 

 of his beak, and joining his bill to hers in a loving kiss." 



They lay in holes in trees, chiefly, in Upper India, in mango 

 and siris trees, I think, but I have met with them in fifty kinds. 

 The mouth of the hole, which is circular and very neatly cut and, 

 say, 2 inches on the average in diameter, is sometimes in the trunk, 

 sometimes in some large bough, and not unfrequently iu the lower 

 surface of the latter. It generally goes straight in for 2 to 4 

 inches, and then turns downwards for from 6 inches to 3 feet. 

 The lower or chamber portion of the hole is never less than 4 or 

 5 iuches in diameter, and is often a large natural hollow, three or 

 four times these dimensions, into which the bird has cut its usual 

 neat passage. The hole has no lining, only a few chips of wood 

 on which the eggs rest. 



The normal number of the eggs is four, but I have found as 

 many as six, and have taken six nearly fledged young ones out of one 

 hole ; in another nest I once found two fresh eggs, one addled egg, 

 and one young bird, at least eight days old. On another occasion 

 I found in a small hole ten eggs and two females, though there 

 was only room for one female to sit on the eggs. 



Major C. T. Biugham remarks of this bird : " Breeds both at 

 Allahabad and at Delhi in February and March, in holes in old 

 walls and in trees ; no lining : eggs four in number." 



Writing of Eajpootana in general, Lieut. H. E. Barnes says of 

 this species: "Breeds from the end of February to early in 

 April." 



