Some Colony Birds. 327 



male are of a beautiful ultramarine blue ; the bastard wing, light blue. 

 The ends of the primaries are brown and the tail feathers are pointed 

 like the blade of a spear. The hen is paler, and yellow on the forehead. 

 It well earns its name for it is disconsolate when alone, and when paired, 

 neither seems content except when ' ; sitting adjacent."* And they are 

 forever billing, warbling, and feeding each other. Like all true lovers they 

 have their quarrels and reconciliations and it is interesting to watch 

 them. Now, the little lord will bury his beak in the feathers of the 

 neck of his spouse and whisper protestations of his love into her willing 

 ear ; then, something too trifling for human eye to note will happen and 

 their delicate pink beaks are striking each other like castanets and their 

 shrill voices raised. But it is soon over. The little lord gains the 

 supremacy and they both go down to the seed-box to soothe their ruffled 

 spirits. 



I have three of these birds, the odd one being a hen and very 

 de trap. The other two combine to drive her off as if she were a step- 

 mother. Occasionally they relent a little and then the little lord has an 

 affectionate mate on either side vying with each other in their fond 

 caresses. He bears himself nobly. 



Under favourable circumstances these charming birds will breed in 

 captivity as freely as canaries. 



The White-Breasted Parrot. 

 Of all the feathered friends I have ever possessed in this country 

 or any other, the seven-coloured-parrot, as this bird is generally called, 

 is the most entertaining. 



Pionites melanocephalus, its scientific name, mav be translated : 

 " the black-headed little fatty." 



The one I once possessed was the first I had ever seen in the flesh. 

 I had seen, of course, the Museum specimens ; but a bird never interests 

 me except as a link in Nature's long chain, until I have a living example 

 and can hold it in my hand and study its ways. I was making a 

 missionary journey on the Barama River in the North West District and 

 slung my hammock for the night at the farm of a half-cast aboriginal 

 Indian, of a type that is rare, for he was working his farm according 

 to approved methods. The little parrot sat perched above the entrance 

 of the loggia as I approached and I was at once struck by the bright 

 green of the back ; he seemed to have a satin coat on. 



I found that he was treated like a member of the family, and was 

 as playful as a kitten and as knowing and mischievous as a monkey. 

 The children and he would run races or play hide and seek ; and when 

 it was his turn to hide and they couldn't find him, he would come slyly 

 out of his hiding-place and nip the bare foot of the nearest child. 

 Seeing that I had taken a fancy to him my host courteously said : 

 " Father, if you like him, he is yours." It was of no use my protesting 

 that I should be depriving his children of their pet. " Oh, there are 

 plenty more ; sometimes we get whole flocks of them." 



