LOVE-BIRDS. 



upper tail-coverts and the duller-coloured tail, which is 

 reddish, blue, black, and green in bands; the under- 

 surface of the wings is dark grey. The hen differs from 

 the cock in the paler red colouring of the frontal patch, 

 which is also generally rather more restricted ; she is a 

 trifle smaller than the male ; her beak is shorter, more 

 arched, when viewed from above it forms a short cone 

 as compared with that of her mate. Hab., "South- 

 western Africa, from Angola to Great Namaqua-Land, 

 and, according to Layard, also South-Eastern Africa, on 

 the 'Limpopo. (Salvador!. ) 



Messrs. Stark and Sclater say (" Birds of South 

 Africa," Vol. III., pp. 232, 233): "The only notice of 

 the habits of this little Parrot is that of Anderson, 

 which is as follows : ' This species is always observed in 

 small flocks, and seldom far away from water, to which 

 it resorts at least once a day, and is consequently not a 

 bad guide to a thirsty traveller ; though if he be in- 

 experienced it would hardly avail him much, as it fre- 

 quently happens that the drinking places resorted to by 

 this and other water-loving birds are but of small 

 compass and strangely situated. 



" ' This species is very swift of flight, and the little 

 flocks in which it is observed seem to flash upon thw 

 sight as they change their feeding-grounds or pass to 

 and from their drinking-place ; their flight, however, is 

 only for a comparatively short distance at a time. 

 They utter rapid and shrill notes when on Che wing, or 

 when suddenly disturbed or alarmed. Their food con- 

 sists of large berries and berry-like seeds. 



" ' This bird does not make any nest of its own, but 

 takes possession of those belonging to other birds, espe- 

 cially the Social Weaver Bird (Philetceriis socius) and 

 the White-browed Weaver Bird (Ploceipasser mahali). 

 I cannot say whether it forcibly ejects the rightful 

 owners of these nests, or merely occupies such as have 

 been abandoned, but in the case of the first-named 

 species, I have seen the Parrots and Weaver Birds in- 

 cubating in about equal numbers under the shelter of 

 the same friendly roof. The egg is pure white, not 

 unlike a Woodpecker's, but more elongated.' Examples 

 in the .South African Museum measure 0.92 by 0.69." 



This species was first bred at the Berlin Aquarium, 

 subsequently by Dr. Russ and various other German 

 aviculturists. Mr. Cocksedge bred eight specimens 

 (vide The Avicultural Magazine, Vol. V.). The laying 

 consists of from three to five eggs, which the hen alone 

 incubates, being fed by the cock bird. As a rule three 

 broods are produced, but Russ states that when not pre- 

 vented six and even seven broods have been produced 

 in succession ; if, however, this is permitted, the hen is 

 likely to die. Deserted eggs of this species have been 

 successfully hatched and reared by Budgerigars. 



Being tempted by the soft colouring and the hope of 

 breeding a remunerative stock at a time when this 

 species still fetched a high price, I (some years ago) 

 asked Mr. Abrahams to send me a pair. Alas ! I soon 

 regretted the action, for not only did both birds spend 

 the whole day in trying to pale-axe their companions 

 with -blows of their powerful beaks, but from dawn to 

 sundown they kept up one unending ear-piercing racket 

 resembling the sound of an ungreased trainwheel at 

 express speed. The torture of this intolerable din was 

 so unbearable that friends and neighbours alike began 

 to glare upon me, until at last, after bearing up bravely 

 for several days, I was compelled to throw myself upon 

 the mercy of my friend, who generously took them 

 back. 



Some years later I became possessed of two hens, but 

 I am ashamed to say I have forgotten who gave them 

 to me. I put them into a flight-cage, at the back of 



which was hung up a receptacle of the cigar-box type 

 ("Hints on Cage-Birds," p. 41), in which they deposited 

 several eggs which I discovered too late to preserve them 

 for my collection. I believe I exchanged one of these 

 hens with Mr. Seth-Smith ; the other lived until 

 January 28th, 1901. 



The first specimen exhibited at the London Zoo- 

 logical Gardens was purchased in 1862, and others were 

 added subsequently. 



BLACK-CHEEKED LOVE-BIRD (Agapornis nigrigenis). 



Green, flecked with bluish above; upper tail-covert* 

 brighter ; front edge of wing yellow ; flights dusky, 

 washed with bluish-green on outer webs ; tail dark 

 green ; all the lateral feathers with a red shaft-stripe 

 and a dusky subterminal spot ; hinder half of head and 

 neck washed with olive ; front half of forehead and 

 crown sienna-brown ; sides of face, including ear- 

 coverts and throat, purplish-black ; under surface yel- 

 lowish-green streaked with yellow on flanks ; a patch 

 of salmon-red on lower throat ; beak coral-red, nearly- 

 white at base ; feet flesh-coloured ; orbital ring white ;. 

 irides pale yellowish-hazel. Female slightly smaller and 

 duller in colouring, the forehead and front of crown: 

 darker and duller ; front edge of wing green ; the orbital 

 ring narrower ; the beak less suffused at base with; 

 white, and not quite ,so full. Hab., Mugnazi - River, 

 North-West Rhodesia. 



This species was only described in 1906, and, in April, 

 1908, a small consignment reached the London market 

 by way of Germany. Others must have come to hand 

 subsequently, judging by the number shortly afterwards, 

 in the possession of various aviculturists. On January 

 23rd, 1909, Mr. Babb brought a pair round to my house 

 in order to get my opinion as to whether they actually 

 were of opposite sex. This I had no hesitation in 

 deciding to be the case, judging from the differences 

 indicated in the preceding description. 



In The. Avicultural Magazine for Oct.. 1908 

 (Second Series, Vol. VI., pp.' 317-329), Messrs. H. D. 

 Astley and Reginald Phillipps published accounts of 

 the species, illustrated by a most characteristic coloured 

 plate of the two sexes. Mr. Phillipps described his- 

 success in breeding the species in his bird room, which 

 opens into one of his garden aviaries. The birds went 

 to nest in June, carrying chips of dead poplar, hay, 

 wheat stalks, spray millet stalks, and sticks, in their 

 beaks, to the log in which they proposed to lay. The- 

 first egg was believed to have been laid on June 20, 

 and by the 23rd there were two eggs in the nest. They 

 were, as usual, white, but of a much elongated pear 

 shape (unlike the eggs of A. cana, A. pullaria, and A. 

 roseicollis). In all four eggs were laid and the yci<ng 

 reared, the first bird leaving the nest on Aug. 22 (see- 

 continuation of Mr. Phillipps' article (Vol. VII., pp. 

 31-36). On Aug. 30 apparently the first egg of a second 

 clutch was laid. 



From what Mr. Phillipps observed, the female seems 

 to incubate alone, the male not feeding her, so far as he- 

 could ascertain, until after the young were hatched. 

 Those who desire more information respecting this 

 beautiful species should read through the whole of Mr. 

 Phillipps' very interesting article. 



The next birds to be considered are the Hanging 

 Parrakeets (Loriculus) ; quaint little creatures, which 

 always sleep suspended head downwards from a branch 

 or perch. They are characterised by their somewhat 

 slender beaks, the upper mandible of which is long 

 and not much curved. In their wild state the Hanging 

 Parrakeets feed upon honey and fruit ; therefore in- 



