B O URKES PARRAKEET. 1 7 5 



would have called an aviary, in which I kept a number 

 of Waxbills of different kinds, and in this I placed the 

 Bourkes. The cage was what is termed a waggon-shaped 

 one, that is it had square ends and an arched top, 

 over which there was a green baize cover in order to 

 shelter the Waxbills in the evening when the gas was 

 alight. Directly the Parrakeets were released, they 

 caused no little commotion among the established 

 inmates, but flew up to the perches under the cover 

 and did not show themselves again for some time, 

 though we could hear them calling to each other every 

 few minutes. 



After a while the hen ventured down, ate some 

 Canary-seed, picked up a few grains of grit off the 

 floor and took a drink of water; then she was joined 

 by her mate and they explored the premises together, 

 seeming to make themselves quite at home and taking 

 not the slightest notice of the Waxbills, which, by that 

 time, had recovered from their alarm and were going 

 about their business in their usual fussy and conse- 

 quential way. 



We stood, almost breathless, at a distance watching 

 "the new birds", but need have taken no such pre- 

 caution, for they were not in the least shy, and when they 

 had taken as much seed as they wanted, they sprinkled 

 a few drops of water over their backs, by way, no 

 doubt, of giving themselves a bath, and retired "up- 

 stairs" (under the baize cover), in order to plume 



