174 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



streak of white ; the bill is dark horn colour, and the 

 legs and feet are grey, with a fleshy tint: the eyes 

 are grey. 



This Parrakeet is a native of the central and possibly 

 of the northern parts of Australia, and has, conse- 

 quently, not very often been imported : so rarely, indeed, 

 has it reached our shores that only three examples of 

 the species have found their way into the menagery 

 of the London Zoological Society. 



I think I am correct in stating that the last and 

 largest consignment of these birds ever received in 

 Europe were those I saw at the establishment of the 

 late Anton Jamrach about twelve or thirteen years ago. 

 They were all in splendid condition on arrival and out 

 of the total number, some twenty or twenty-five, as 

 nearly as I can recollect, I had my choice of a pair, 

 the female being easily distinguished from her mate 

 by the almost total absence of blue from her forehead, 

 and the paler colour of the salmon-red covering of her 

 breast and under parts. 



I never saw a finer lot of birds, and yet I have 

 reason to believe that twelve months afterwards, if not, 

 indeed, long before, not one of them remained alive. 

 I carried my pair home in triumph, but had paid such 

 a long price for them that I kept that item of infor- 

 mation carefully locked up in my own breast, for I 

 really felt ashamed to avow it. 



In the breakfast-room I had a large cage, that many 



