THE RING-NECKED PARRAKEET. 143. 



the new-comer, she "went for him" with a vengeance, 

 but whether owing to the sexual instinct, or not, she 

 suddenly checked herself and, instead of attacking the 

 other bird, began to chatter to him: the little male 

 replied, and the two were soon on friendly terms with 

 each other. 



At first he was unable to fly, and could only crawl 

 about among the branches, which seemed to excite or 

 irritate the female, who kept on continually scolding or 

 jeering at him: so after a while he made an attempt 

 to use his wings, but failing to hit the perch at which 

 he aimed, he "came a cropper" on the ground, and 

 seemed to be very much ashamed of himself for his 

 clumsiness, while "she positively laughed (in her fashion) 

 at his mishap. 



This failure to fly properly seemed to chagrin the 

 poor fellow, and he followed it up by many attempts 

 to use his wings, and after a time succeeded. I then 

 perceived that the couple were looking about for a 

 place to nest in, and one day I found the hen half- 

 way into a cocoanut husk that was not big enough to 

 hold her and had been placed where it was for the 

 accommodation of a pair of Budgerigars, who had not 

 made the expected use of it. 



Seeing that Madam Ring-neck could not possibly get 

 into the husk, I got a small barrel for her, which I 

 fixed up among some branches ; I had not the sense r 

 however, to place it on its side, but put it standing 



