170 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



These birds are extremely prolific, producing, at least 

 in the aviary, from five to seven young to a brood, 

 of which there are usually three during the season, 

 the first in April or May, and the last in September 

 or even in October. The hens, however, are rather 

 subject to egg-binding, which is the greatest drawback 

 in keeping them. As they lay so many eggs they 

 must be freely supplied with lime, and the best way 

 to administer it is in the form of the crushed shells 

 of the eggs used in the house. I have known this 

 simple plan relieve many cases, but of course if the 

 retention has lasted so long that inflammation has set 

 in there is little or no hope of recovery, and in their 

 case, as in many others, prevention is better than cure. 



Canary and millet seed with oats is the right food 

 for these pretty birds, the female of which differs from 

 her mate by having less blue on the face, and in being 

 a trifle smaller; but the latter point is so slight as 

 only to be detected by comparison. 



There are several species of Parrakeets very closely 

 allied to the Turquoisine, the principal of which is the 

 Elegant, which has only a narrow band of blue across 

 the nostrils and no red mark on the shoulders, while 

 its belly and the under side of the tail are of a much 

 deeper shade of orange than the same parts in the 

 Turquoisine, for the female of which it is sometimes 

 sold, but it is a distinct species, for the young of the 

 cross with it and the latter are intermediate in appear- 



