357



Nesting of the Blue-winged Grass Parrakeet.



NESTING OF THE BLUE-WINGED

GRASS PARRAKEET.


Neoph cm a veil us la.


By VV. A. Fasey.


In the spring of 1904 I purchased seven Grass Parrakeets

from Mr. Jamrach (the whole of the importation). He described

them as Blue-banded Grass Parrakeets ( Neophema venusta). I

still have two pairs of these who annually nest and only on one

occasion have they hatched young, but not reared to leave the

nest.


A year or two ago Messrs. Payne and Wallace brought

over a number of so-called Rock Grass Parrakeets ( Neophema

petrophila ) of which I obtained two pairs, and it is one of these

pairs that has succeeded in rearing one young one to leave the

nest.


Now these “ so called ” Rock Grass Parrakeets are

absolutely the same as the Blue-winged Grass, at least as far as

I can see, and I have most carefully examined them together,

so I have not the least doubt that they are wrongly called Rock

Grass Parrakeets. Moreover, on reference to Mr. Seth-Smith’s

book, ‘‘Parrakeets,” both Mr. Jamrach’s and Messrs. Payne and

Wallace’s importations answer more to description given for the

Blue-winged Grass Parrakeet.


Perhaps some of our members interested in Parrakeets

would care to examine my pairs, in that case I shall be pleased

to give them the proper facility to do so. However, whichever

species they belong to, I am equally entitled to the Society’s

Medal as neither has been previously reared in England.


The pair of birds has occupied alone an aviary fifteen

feet by seven feet, one half of which is an open flight turfed

with grass.


Early in the spring of this year they nested without

success, and on the second occasion succeeded in hatching and

rearing one young one.


The young one is marked exactly like the parents, but

with nothing like so brilliant tints.


The Blue-winged Parrakeets are very quiet and showy

birds, although not so interesting or lively as the Platycercus or



