THE CEYLONESE HANGING PARROT. 165 



sketch of one of them. Whether or not, I had no difficulty 

 in identifying the species, and sent him the information 

 for which he was seeking. They were green birds, he 

 said, with yellowish-brown heads and backs, and they 

 had a habit of hanging, not only along the top of their 

 cage, but from the perch, in which extraordinary position 

 they also passed the night 1 They had bills of the same 

 shape as a Parrot and ate bread and milk, sweetened, 

 and fruit, and were especially fond of grapes. Then 

 my correspondent proceeded to describe in forcible terms 

 some peculiar habits of the creatures and wound up by 

 saying that no cage would be large enough, and that 

 they ought to be kept in a field! 



I thought he exaggerated, perhaps, and as he was 

 good enough to make me an offer of them I accepted 

 with many thanks and in due course received the birds 

 in a large home-made cage a box it was, with a wire 

 top and front. Afraid my new acquisitions were not 

 comfortable in such a contrivance, I transferred them 

 to another residence, and hung a piece of calico over 

 half of it in order to afford the birds a shelter or screen, 

 for they were somewhat shy and easily startled. 



Having provided for their comfort, I left them for 

 the night with a plentiful supply of bread and milk 

 and some grapes, so as not to keep them waiting for 

 their breakfast in the morning. 



When I came downstairs, the room was in a state 

 I shall not attempt to describe, and the managers of 



