34 On Breeding Passerme Parrotlets.


BREEDING PASSERINE PARROTLETS.


By John Watson.


Having had the good fortune to rear a nest of Passerine or

Blue-winged Parrakeets, the Editor has asked me to write a

short paper on the subject.


This charming Parrotlet is a very desirable aviary bird.

When at rest it is, perhaps, not very striking, but, flying in

sunshine, the vivid blue patches on rump and wings combine

with his otherwise grass green plumage to make a decided

impression. He is gentle—harmless even to the smallest Wax-

bills—never noisy, becomes fairly tame and, unlike most others

of his order, does not destroy the trees or shrubs in the aviary.


My pair were put into an aviary with various small birds

in 1902, and until June of this year showed no signs of breeding,

or rather I should say I saw nothing to excite my suspicions,

for they are very shy birds, and will sit as if turned to stone if

watched, but, directly they are unobserved, will fly about and

chatter merrily.


I11 June, however, I noticed the cock feeding his mate,

and, so that they should not be disturbed by prying and meddle¬

some Zebra and other small Finches, I moved them to another

aviary which they shared with Virginian Cardinals and Yellow¬

headed Troupials.


On July 8th there was one egg in a cocoa-nut husk.


O11 July 20th, after a few days’ absence, I found the hen

sitting and took advantage of her going off to feed, to find that

she had eight eggs. She probably began to sit on the 17th July.

On August 6th there were six young birds, destitute of any sort

of covering. Apparently incubation takes about eighteen days.


As soon as any feathers began to grow, the blue tips of

some of the wing feathers proclaimed that the majority of the

brood were cocks.


On August 22ud, as the nest was dirty, and there was such

a crowd that the hen could not get in for house-cleaning, I

took out all the youngsters and scraped out the husk, put rings

on the birds, and put them back.


On August 31st the first young cock was flying well and



