CONURES. 



161 



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sometimes utter low notes, ae if talking to each other, 

 but more often they remain entirely silent, and are 

 then extremely difficult to discover, as their plumage 

 harmonises and blends thoroughly with the surrounding 

 foliage." 



" Considering how common this bird was only a few 

 decades ago, it is astonishing how little is really known 

 about its nesting habits, and it is not likely that we 1 will 

 be able to learn much more about them. The general 

 supposition is that they breed in hollow trees, such as 

 cypress, oak, and sycamore, and that they nest rather 

 ea.rly in the- season, whilst others think they nest rather 

 late."" 



Major Bendire then proceeds to quote the statements 

 of various persons who have 

 asserted that this Conure con- 

 structs flimsy nests of cypress 

 twigs loosely put together and 

 resembling nests of the Carolina 

 Dove, the eggs being visible from 

 below, and he says : " It is quite 

 possible that the Carolina Paro- 

 quet, from its exceedingly social 

 nature, was compelled, where 

 very numerous, to resort to open 

 nesting sites from necessity, as 

 suitable cavities are rarely found 

 in sufficient quantities close to 

 each other to accommodate any- 

 considerable number of pairs." 



"Dr. Karl Russ, of Berlin, 

 Germany, in his interesting 

 article on this species, in his 

 work on "Die Fremdlandischen 

 Stubenvogel Die Papageien," 

 Vol. III. (1879), pp. 221-236), 

 mentions several instances of the 

 Carolina Paroquets breeding in 

 captivity in Germany, where the 

 eggs were deposited in June and 

 July, two being the number laid ; 

 but in his " Handbuch fur 

 Vogelliebhaber " he gives the 

 number from three to five, and 

 he describes them as pure white, 

 fine grained, very round, and 

 quite glossy, like Woodpeckers' 

 eggs, measuring 38 by 36 milli- 

 metres, or about 1.50 by 1.42in." 



"Mr. Robert Ridgway's birds 

 would not use the nesting-boxes 

 provided for them, 

 and both females 

 deposited their 

 eggs on the floor 

 of the cage ; they 

 were laid in July, 

 August, and Sep- 

 tember respective- 

 ly. None of these 

 eggs can be called 

 round ; they vary 

 from ovate to 

 short ovate, and 

 are rather 



pointed." 



Although I can- 

 not admire the 

 arrangement of 

 colours on this 



Conure, Dr. RUES hints that, partly on account 

 of its beauty and partly its low price, it would seem 

 a highly desirable bird if one did not know its evil 



LESSER PATAGONIAN CONURE. 



propensities. According to him this bird is most de- 

 structive to wood-work, gnawing through strong pine 

 match-boarding without difficulty ; he therefore recom- 

 mends a strong metal cage for it. Dr. Rey considered it 

 keen witted, cunning, and distrustful, only pleasing 

 when hand-reared, but nevertheless hardy. 



In Germany this Conure has been freely bred. It 

 lays from three to five eggs; 'both sexes ' incubate, and 

 both feed the young. The nestling down ie mouse-grey ; 

 the young plumage bright green, changing slowly ; the 

 orange on the forehead not appearing for months, whilst 

 the adult colouring is not acquired until the second 

 year. Apparently the species has n6t been bred in 



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