on the Breeding of the Black-cheeked Lovebird. 323


lonely and had nothing to do, and had a certain amount of fellow

feeling for her in her loneliness ; and, as far as I could observe,

he helped her considerably in the by no means light task (a most

serious one for a cripple) of hewing and carrying “timber” for

the building of her house. It is especially noteworthy that he

seemed to assist only in the cutting and carrying of the sticks,

and left her to attend to the more simple work of collecting spray

stalks, hay, and the like. I fear that it will not be possible to

inspect the interior of this nest without damaging the structure.

Moreover, it is in the garden, so that I could not go near it with¬

out being seen. The probability is that nothing will come of this

nest, but there is no knowing ; and if she should have but one

young one to cheer up and encourage her lonely heart I should be

exceedingly pleased, for she used often to look so piteously

forlorn.


From the foregoing experience, I think we may regard the

Black-cheeked Lovebird as a good liver and tenacious of life—

but it perceptibly shrinks from cold. It delights in the warmth of

the sun, but betrays in many little ways its love for the gloom

and solitude of the forest—but of the zvarm forest.


The presence of this odd bird has shewn me, which needed

no shewing, that this species is gregarious, but that each pair

keep strictly to their own nest; and also that no female will

permit another to build too near to her own retreat. While the

females are sitting, doubtless the males, with any odd birds, feed

and fly off to water together. Probably they pair for life.


At times they are rather noisy; and their calls and cries

are perhaps less musical than is the case with either of the other

three species that have been brought to this country. But they

can be singularly quiet when quite at peace. After the four

young had left the nest, I repeatedly noticed the family party of

five or six playing or feeding together, hour after hour, without

uttering a sound beyond some soft low chattering.


The nervousness which was displayed by my three birds

for some time after their arrival seems quite to have passed away,

and they now appear trustful and confiding so long as I keep

entirely away from the vicinity of the nest. If I am caught in

the birdroom, I am regarded with grave suspicion. Their natur-



