THE RING-NECKED PARRAKEET. 147 



open air from choice. Once, however, I heard a great 

 commotion in their enclosure, but took no notice as 

 they had a habit of flying about and screaming before 

 settling down for the night; but next morning I found 

 the hen dead, hanging to the wires by one of her feet, 

 which had got fixed in them, and no doubt the violent 

 exertions she made to free herself brought on the fit 

 of apoplexy to which her death was due. 



I was very sorry, but it was a pure accident, and 

 nothing more could be said or done about it. I 

 thought of buying another hen, and after a time got 

 a reputed one, but the bird proved to be a young 

 male, which I gave away, and the old one was sent 

 to the show at the Crystal Palace, where somebody 

 bought it. Such, at least I fancy, was its history, but 

 I have had so many of these birds at different times, 

 I cannot be sure. 



I ascertained the following facts about them: the 

 male is quite two years old, sometimes three, before 

 he acquires the characteristic ring round his neck, and 

 is in breeding condition; the eggs are four in number, 

 (for other hens laid in my aviary, and always had four 

 eggs, neither more nor less), incubation lasts eighteen 

 days and commences with the first egg, the young 

 hatching out on successive mornings, and lastly, 

 although these birds are natives of India they are 

 quite hardy and absolutely indifferent to the cold of 

 our severest winter out of doors, so that it would be 



