BOURKES PARRAKEET. 177 



There was no bird in the aviary that could possibly 

 have done it, and his little mate was certainly not 

 guilty, for anything like her devotion to him was never 

 seen. Of course without a bill he could no longer pick 

 up food for himself, and so she fed him with unremit- 

 ting attention. For a time, particularly as he did not 

 look ill, I was in hopes the lost mandibles might be 

 renewed, but I soon perceived that the bird was getting 

 thinner and weaker by degrees, and when he died a little 

 later on he was merely a frame, nor did a post- 

 mortem examination of the remains throw any light on 

 the cause of the misfortune. 



The hen seemed to feel her loss acutely, for she 

 became very restless, "called" incessantly, and would 

 scarcely feed, so that, notwithstanding the high price, 

 I made up my mind to go to East India Dock Road 

 once more and buy another bird to replace the departed ; 

 but Mr. Jamrach had sold them all, and I was com- 

 pelled to return home as I had gone, that is as far as 

 Bourkes were concerned, for I believe I seldom saw 

 my friend Anton without carrying away something in 

 the shape of a bird, or birds, from his establishment. 



Altogether my short experience with these pretty 

 Parrakeets very much impressed me in their favour, in 

 spite of my bad luck with them, for the hen languished 

 after the death of her mate and died in about three 

 months from the date of my buying the pair, and 

 about the same number of weeks after her loss, for 



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