THE



Bvicultural ^agasine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. V. —NO. 59. All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1899.



THE PRINCESS OF WALES’S PARRAKEET.


By Henry J. Fulejames.


In writing of the Princess of Wales’s Parrakeet (Polytelis

alexandnz) only superlative adjectives can be used. Of all the

Parrakeets it is the rarest, the most elegant in shape, the most

beautiful and at the same time the most delicate in colouring,

the tamest, the most desirable as a pet, and the least objection¬

able in “ song.” I had almost written that it was absolutely

without objection in regard to the screaming which is such a

drawback to the keeping of Parrots ; but when it likes, the

Princess of Wales’s Parrakeet has a very shrill whistle which is

somewhat trying to the human ear. This, fortunately, is only

resorted to occasionally, and then only when it is protesting

against attentions being bestowed upon other inmates of the

bird-room. There is one other superlative adjective which,

unhappily, must be applied to the bird—it is most delicate in

constitution. Possibly in the remote wilds of the extreme

interior of Australia, whence the bird comes, it finds some food

which cannot be imitated in captivity, or possibly the very few

specimens of which I, or any one else for that matter, have had

any knowledge, have been extra delicate representatives of the

species.


Only one specimen has ever been acquired at the Zoo, and

that was “deposited” in 1895 (cC). On my last visit to the Gardens,

the bird was alive, but was sadly “ out of form.” Of my own two

specimens, the cock did not survive importation very long ; and

the hen has required considerable attention ever since I have had

her. Many times her life has not seemed worth a day’s purchase.

For a long time she refused seed altogether, and was kept

alive entirely on fruit and sponge-cake, with port wine and



(a) I distinctly remember seeing' two specimens of Polytelis alexandree at the Zoo a

few years ago : one was, I believe, the property of the Society, and the other was deposited.

I). S.-S.



