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strokes of the wing, uttering short shrill cries. The natives

keep them in numbers, chained to a little stand before the doors

of their huts by means of a ring made of cocoa-nut shell, and

feed them with rice and bananas. The above-named explorer

informs us that this bird has a perceptible and not unpleasant

smell of musk.”


My first Ornamented Lorikeet was obtained three years

ago, and, as I had no aviary available at the time, was kept in

an ordinary square parrot-cage. I soon came to the conclusion

that this species is not suited to cage life. My bird was not wild

(on the contrary, he was a bold and fearless bird, though

excitable) but his movements were rapid and sudden, and he

•constantly injured his plumage against the wires : he was restless

and active, always wanting to fly, and would start from his perch

with a strong “ whirrh ” of the wings, only to be brought up in a

few inches by the bars of his prison. And, like all caged Lori¬

keets, he was a dirty bird, and his cage required constant attention

to keep it even fairly sweet.


After a time, he was transferred to a small aviary in

company with half-a-dozen other Parrakeets. Here he was

happy enough, and soon reduced his comrades to a very sub¬

missive condition, but he was of an interfering and jealous

disposition and could never leave any female Parrakeet alone.

Constant squabbles were the result, and in these he was invariably

victorious. Failing to obtain a bride of his own species, he was

eventually satisfied with a hen Purple-capped Lory, for whom

he manifested the greatest affeCtion and with whom for a time he

was happy enough.


In the Autumn of 1895, m Y friend Mr. W. H. Betts offered

to lend me a female Ornamented Lorikeet in order that I might

attempt to breed the species. I need hardly say that the offer

was gladly accepted ; an aviary was prepared for the reception

of the pair and they were duly introduced, the Purple-capped

Lory being relegated to a cage in the same room. The aviar} 7

which I gave them was about ten feet by three, and nine feet

high—small in comparison with some of those described by

contributors to the Magazine, but large enough to afford the

Lorikeets an opportunity of stretching their wings. Their

delight on acquiring this moderate degree of freedom was

intense, and their activity was marvellous : from morning to

night they were in constant movement, chasing each other from

bough to bough, whirring with their strong rapid flight from end

to end of their domain, hopping with quaint sidelong jumps



