5i



The nesting habits of the Madagascar Love-bird have

more than once been described ; it is sufficient to say that, on the

whole, they appear to be identical with those of the Rosy-face.

Some years ago I had three pairs, one mostly in the house, the

others mostly in the garden. These birds were wilder and more

timid than the Rosy-face, and not nearly so ready to go to nest.

When they did do so, they became so savage and aggressive that I was

obliged to get rid of them. Those in the garden always roosted

in a balsam poplar, the four sitting side by side, when it was

most difficult to detect them amidst the green leaves. Unlike the

Rosy-face, for nesting purposes these confined their attentions

to a lime tree. The cock-of-the-walk sat a good deal alone,

singing connectedly and continuously; neither of the other

males sang. I should judge that in their native country they

would keep in flocks, separating during the breeding season.

When going to feed, they fly down one after another, at intervals

of a few seconds. Sometimes, both in manner of flight and

accompanying call, they reminded me forcibly of the Common

Sandpiper. In Mauritius, they are simply known as Ra

Perruche.


The flight of the Rosy-faced Rove-bird is like that of an

English Partridge, the bird going off strong and straight, and

with a whir-r-r when put up, but usually ending with a sail on

out-stretclied pinions. When first imported, the male has

usually more colour on the face than the female ; but, when

an old well-kept pair are in a small cage, to distinguish the sex

with certainty by a cursory examination is often impossible.

With A. cana and A.fiullaria, the sexes are readily distinguish¬

able ; I refer to this, as an article in the Feathered World some

months back made a direct statement to the contrary as regards

the latter.


Mr. Cresswell refers to a likeness he sees between the

Red-faced Love-bird and the Blue-winged Parrakeet. Besides

the points of difference mentioned by Mr. Castellan—the pointed

tail feathers and the non-loving nesting arrangements of the

Parrakeet—I may point out that the bands on the tail feathers

of the Red-face are well marked, while they do not appear at all in

the Blue-wing. In their habits I have not myself noticed a

likeness, excepting, perhaps, when they are kept in small cages ;

but in large places I notice many points of difference. The voices

of my specimens are alike only in the sense that they both consist

of little more than gentle and pleasing twitterings. The war

notes of my Blue-wings differ from any sound I have ever heard



