THE



Hvtcultural /nbaga3tne t


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. II. — NO. 19. All rights reserved. MAY, 1896.



A FEW NOTES ON BREEDING SOME

AUSTRALIAN PARRAKEETS.


By John Sergeant.


What can be prettier, more attractive, or more interesting

than an aviary of the lovely Australian Parrakeets ? And when

one reflects that, given suitable surroundings, some of them will

breed in confinement almost as readily as the domestic Pigeon,

and, at least, with no more trouble, it is surprising that a greater

number of people do not keep them.


Since I became interested in foreign birds I have bred in my

aviaries Rosella, Pennant, Turquoisine and Elegant Parrakeets,

and, it is almost needless to say, the Budgerigar. Amongst these

the ubiquitous Budgerigar, of course, comes first as the species

that adapts itself most readily to its surroundings, next is the

Red Rosella (the Mealy species, for some reason or other, is

rather capricious and troublesome), Turquoisiues and Elegants

follow, and, lastly, the gorgeous Pennant and the Mealy Rosella.


Budgerigars are so well known and so universally kept that

I will not take up space by giving any hints on their treatment

when breeding.


This almost applies to the Rosella, but as it has not yet,

perhaps, become quite so common and well-known, I will devote

a few lines to it. From my experience of the Rosella, I think it

is invariably necessary to wait until your birds are about two years

old before you can expect them to nest. So that in buying birds it

is best to select the largest you can find and those that are in the

most brilliant plumage, as being presumably adults. It is not very

difficult in the case of the Rosella to discover the sexes, as the

hen is always lighter in colour, smaller and flatter in the head,

and has altogether a more feminine look about her. Rosellas are

not so intolerant of the presence of other birds as other members

of their family, and they can be safely turned into any aviary

that is not overstocked with birds. A nesting log (the best are



