NESTING BOXES, ETC. 57 



kittens were their children. Tliey kept up a con- 

 stant warfare with the old cat, and whenever she 

 left the box one of them used to get in and sit with 

 the kittens and they were constantly in close atten- 

 dance even when the mother cat was at home." 



The spectacle of the Parrots' breakfast when the 

 snow was on the ground is one which Mr. C. Buxton 

 describes as of exquisite beauty, the colours of the 

 birds seeming peculiarly gorgeous. It is thus 

 described: — "The Parrots' breakfast having been put 

 in a basket, a pair of White Cockatoos, who had 

 been anxiously watching the proceedings from the 

 tree above, swooped down and set instantly to work. 

 A Bengal Paraquet with long, green wings presently 

 comes skimming up and flutters for a few minutes 

 almost perpendicularly in the air, exactly in the 

 attitude so often represented by Mr. Gould in his 

 book of Humming Birds, with the head and tail 

 curved inwards and the wings extended. Two or 

 three Rose-coloured Cockatoos follow and hang about 

 on the tripod, but do not venture to take their places 

 on the edge of the basket while their fiercer brethren 

 are at work. But presently one of the huge White 

 Cockatoos with yellow crest comes swinging heavil}^ 

 down over the lawn putting all the lesser ones 

 to flight in a moment; but they soon gather round 



