CHAPTER XXXIV. 



Kinging D^arf Parrot. 



I HIS bird is called a Parrakeet in the Catalogue of 

 the London Zoological Society, which seems to me 

 to be quite a mistake, seeing that the word "Parrakeet" 

 is usually applied to those members of the Parrot 

 family with long tails, in contradistinction to the 

 Parrots proper whose tails are short, square, or slightly 

 rounded in a few cases. 



It might be thought that these little birds, essentially 

 arboreal as they are in their habits, and feeding on 

 the nectar of the blossoms and the luscious juices of 

 the fruits in their native wilds, would be incapable of 

 existing in a cage: but not so; not only do they endure 

 very well in confinement, but thrive in a state of captivity, 

 providing anyone has the patience to keep them. 



I confess that a very short acquaintance with and 

 experience of their peculiarities was enough for me. 



A correspondent had written, describing a pair of 

 birds in his possession, to ask if I could tell him what 

 they were, and I fancy he sent me a rough coloured 



