i6i


a mixture, in equal parts, of ants' eggs soaked in hot water for

■a few moments, and fresh hard-boiled yolk of eggs.


The Tanager in question often whistled softly, but exhibited

no extraordinary vocal powers, its chief attraction lying in the

beauty of its plumage. It would take food from the tips of our

fingers, but only in a very gingerly fashion ; first hopping down

on to the lower perch, standing there for a few moments twisting

its head from side to side as if trying to ascertain whether there

was a trap laid or not.


The other Tanagers, which survived their arrival in

England only a matter of three or four weeks, were described

as being thickly spotted with blackish markings on a green

ground. This description would shew them to be either Calliste

j)unctata, or C. guttata, or C. xarithogastra, but of this there can

be no certainty as I never saw the birds.



THE NEW ZEALAND PARRAKEET.


{Cya7iorhainphus novce-zeala^idicB).


By A. Savage.


These Parrakeets are great favourites of mine, although,

from want of room, I do not possess any at the present moment.

They are, as far as my experience goes, quite harmless birds,

and can be lodged, without fear, in an aviary of mixed Finches

or Budgerigars, and this opinion is confirmed by others who

have kept them on this side of the Channel {i). Their plumage

is in harmony with their disposition — quiet — the prevailing

colour being dark green ; the forehead and cheeks are red,

and a small patch of red is found on each side of the rump ;

the flight feathers are blue. The beak is dark, with a large

whitish spot on the upper mandible ; eyes ruby. The legs are

long, enabling the birds to run quickly, and they spend a good

deal of their time on the ground, turning over, with their feet,

the sand on the floor of the aviary in search of tit-bits, fowl

fashion. The male and female are practically alike in plumage,

but the female is smaller than the male^ier head and beak are

considerably so, and there, I think, is the best mark of distinction

between the sexes. The voice is peculiar, and resembles a bleat

more than anything else — hence the German appellation " Ziegen-

sittich," or Goat Parrakeet. I believe the importation of the New

-Zealand Parrakeet to be rare, both in England and on the


'\e) The writer resides in France. —Ed.



