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A Parrakeet Hybrid.



A PARRAKEET HYBRID.


By W. R. Fasey.


Our Editor asks for an account of the young hybrids I

have in one of my aviaries between a Pennant and Yellow-

naped Parrakeet, and knowing some of our members will be

interested I respond.


The Yellow-naped (a hen) I procured in 1901 (and I

believe it is scarce, as I have not been able to get a mate nor

have I seen or heard of any during this period) in 1903 and 1904

mated with a Barnard : several nests of young were reared ; two

of these hybrids went to our London Zoo. and one was still there

at a recent visit of mine.


The end of last year I decided to part with all odd birds,

and one of our members came over and took back with him

several, including the Yellow-naped. A week later he wrote she

was short of a toe and useless for showing, which “he had intended

it for,” and would I buy it back. This I did, and but for this the

hybrids would not have been born.


She soon became friendly with a Pennant, so I decided to

try to produce hybrids instead of selling her again, thinking if

successful there would be at least a mix up of colours, and I

think I have obtained this.


About the end of May I saw they were nesting, and. later

four young ones were hatched. When they were a week or so

old I found all four out of the nest and on the floor of the

aviary,—a drop of about four feet,—and the hen evidently

attending to them there. I thought “Here is an end to the

hybrids,” as the floor of the aviary was too damp, and unsuited

for rearing young parrakeets, so that they could not stop there,

and I concluded if I put them back the old ones would forsake

them, as parrakeets will not permit of interference when nesting ;

knowing this to my cost on previous occasions, when even to

look at the young in the absence of the old birds, has been

sufficient for them to desert them. However, I contended they

could not live on the floor, so they might as well die in the nest.

I put them back, and was surprised to find the old ones looking

after them in the nest as if nothing had happened. A few days

following this, one got out again and back it went, and later one



