170 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



The Cockatiel has been for many years much exported 

 from Australia, and is a great favourite in Europe, as it 

 breeds more freely than any other Parrot except the 

 Budgerigar. It can generally be had also in Calcutta at 

 a reasonable price, and is equally ready to breed in 

 captivity there ; a solitary hen will even lay in a cage. 



In the Calcutta Zoological Garden a pair bred in a small 

 aviary where they had for companions a pair of African 

 Spotted Pigeons (Columba guinea) and an English Song- 

 Thrush. Of the latter they took no notice, but the male 

 was constantly attacking the Pigeons, although they 

 were twice his size, and easily beat him off with their 

 wings. This was while the sitting and rearing was going 

 on ; when the young Cockatiels came out fledged the 

 Pigeons had their revenge, and pecked one nearly to 

 death. Another pair of Cockatiels in another compart- 

 ment showed themselves very unfriendly to a pair of 

 Red-crested Cardinals confined with them ; so that the tem- 

 per of these birds is evidently not trustworthy in Bengal, 

 where tempers generally are apt to give way on a slight 

 strain. In England the Cockatiel has the reputation of 

 being the gentlest of all Parrots, so that it can safely 

 be kept with the smallest Finches. 



A young male Cockatiel taken from the nest and reared 

 by hand makes a delightful pet ; it will learn to talk, and 

 become so tame that it can be let out to fly about in the 

 open. Altogether, next to the Budgerigar, the Cockatiel 

 is the most desirable of all aviary birds, and is one of 

 those which are practically certain to give satisfaction, and 

 so eminently suited for the beginner in aviculture. 



