Stories from Real Life.



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Most of you will know this Parrakeet at least by sight, but

those of you who have not seen it may like to hear what it is

like. Barnard’s Parrakeets are always great favourites of mine,

their colouring is so very lovely and their shape so elegant. In

size this bird is larger, and considerably thicker in build than a

Cockatiel. The general colour is bright green, with a red fore¬

head, and a yellow band round the back of the neck, and also

one across the breast. The upper back and shoulder-butts are of

the richest blue. The long tail is green, while the under¬

feathers are also blue but paler than the back, and of the most

lovely shading imaginable. When“Barnie” started to whistle

he would open his tail like a fan, and jerk it very rapidly from

side to side. It was only when he did this that one could seethe

lovely blue of the tail feathers in all their beauty.


This is only a brief description, but you will see from it

what a very handsome bird a Barnard’s Parrakeet is, and how

great an ornament to any aviary. Some day, if you get a

specimen for yourself, you will see how futile it is to try and

describe such a lovely bird, for it must be seen to be realized.


I was very delighted with my new purchase and turned

them into a large cage. Visions of nesting and young Barnard’s

floated through my brain, for every bird-lover knows how in bird¬

keeping one’s thoughts run away with one. Many a castle I have

built in the air has come tumbling down with a crash, and the

case of the Barnard’s proved no exception to the rule.


When the warm weather came I put the Barnard’s out into

a compartment in my new aviary. Here they had plenty of

room to fly about, or nest at will, with but few companions.

Amongst these however was my favourite Masked Parrakeet

“ Dick Turpin.” How I wish everyone who reads these lines

could see “ Dick.” He is the brightest, most loving and

intelligent Parrakeet you can imagine, and not only is he very

lovely, but his ways are so pretty no one can resist him. Imagine

a magnificent bird eighteen inches long in colour light emerald

green, the green so rich that it fairly seems to shine. “ Dick”

has a black mask over his face and wonderful orange eyes. The

quill feathers of his wings are bright blue, and his breast is

yellow, shading into deep orange. I could write you pages about



