THE



351



Hvtcultural fllbagasme,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AV1CULTURAL SOCIETY.



New Series.—\] OL. III. —No. 12 .—All rights reserved. OCTOBER, 1905.



THE RED-CAPPED PARROT.


Pionopsittacus pileatus.


By Rev. Hubert D. Asteey, M.A.


I have been asked to contribute a few notes upon this

species, but few indeed they must be, for I know so little about

these birds.


Whether they are by nature tractable I cannot say, but the

male individual I possess is one of the gentlest and sweetest

tempered parrots I ever saw; but alas! a cripple!


In beautiful plumage and health, but a cripple. At some

time previous to my purchasing him he must have had his left

leg broken, somebody perhaps “took him by the left leg and

threw him downstairs,” at any rate the knee-joint was not pro¬

perly set, and is quite stiff although not altogether useless, for

the bird can use his foot as a prop in perching, but cannot clasp

with it. So the poor little red-cap has to spend most of his time

sitting still, which is sad.


He will allow me to take him out in my hand, and caress

or stroke him without showing any wish to pinch me.


I hold his toes when he is perching on my finger, and

wave him up and down to give him wing exercise.


He eats canary seed, rejecting the millet and hemp that is

mixed in.


He loves an “Albert” biscuit sopped in tea, which I let

him have once a day, and some fruits too he is fond of. His

voice is a very still small voice, a little minute chirruping noise

is all I have ever heard, and only then when I take him in my

hand.



