THE R OS Y- OR PEA CH-FA CED L O VEBIRD. 1 8 1 



strips of two or three inches long and about a quarter 

 of an inch wide, which she carries to her nest-hole, 

 not in her bill as nearly all other birds do, but thrust 

 in, lengthwise, among the long feathers that grow on 

 the lower part of her back, and nearly overlap her 

 tail ; and when she has collected as many of these 

 scraps as she thinks constitute a load, she flies off with 

 them to the place of her choice and, bustling in, disposes, 

 according to her fancy, of such as have not fallen off 

 during her flight. The pieces that she loses by the 

 way she never notices again, but proceeds at once to 

 strip off some more, until the nest-hole is lined as far 

 as she deems it necessary. 



When both my birds began to carry bits of bark, 

 etc., on their backs into the nest, it was likely that 

 both were hens, but when twelve eggs had been found 

 in it, and all clear, there could no longer be any doubt 

 about their sex, and the question arose, should one 

 of them be got rid of, or should males be obtained 

 for them both? 



They were such strong, healthy birds, that it was 

 decided to adopt the latter alternative, but, as it 

 happened, there were no Peach-faces in the market 

 just then, and one or two amateurs who had some for 

 sale privately were uncertain as to the sex of their 

 birds, which they would not guarantee, so the first 

 project fell through and instead of buying more, I sold 

 the two I had and have not since replaced them. 



