Some Experiences of Mealy Bosellas. 177


fought so desperately the year before. Her behaviour during in¬

cubation was not quite like that of other female Platycerci I have

watched which have been fed by their mates at the entrance to the

nest, and hardly seemed to leave it at all for some weeks. The

Mealy, however, on hearing the cock’s call note, would slip out and

join him. He would then feed her and the pair would fly off to¬

gether and remain away for some minutes. On their return, the

hen would fly straight to the hole and dive in without waiting to

look round, as though she feared that some harm might have over¬

taken her precious eggs during her absence. Fortunately her fears,

if she had any, were never realized ; everything went well, and in

due course six fine young birds made their appearance and were well

looked after by their father until able to take care of themselves.

About ten days after the young had flown, the hen went to nest

again in the same hole and a brood of four were successfully reared.

Immature Mealies differ little in plumage from their parents, but

their colours, especially the blues and creams, are less pure and vivid

owing to a smoky greenish tinge, w T hich is particularly noticeable on

the head and neck. Their beaks also are of the peculiar shade which

is seen in young Red Rosellas, as if bone or ivory had been stained

with reddish earth. Birds which have red feathers on the crown

when in adult plumage, show considerable traces of red at the time

of leaving the nest.


The domestic career of the second hen Mealy—though less

successful than that of the first—was rather curious. Being without

a mate of her own species she paired with a Brown’s Parrakeet and

went to nest in a tree in the garden. For a time all went well, and

from the behaviour of the old birds I am practically certain that

young were hatched ; but one unlucky day the Brown’s discovered a

brood of Red Rosellas in the roof of a building a long way from his

own establishment. He was delighted with his find, drove off the

unfortunate parents (who were so disgusted that they went clean

away and were never seen again) and set to work to feed the en¬

chanting babies himself. A few days later he introduced them to

his wife and soon persuaded her to desert her home and devote her

self entirely to his new charges. The Rosellas were reared—even

one which left the nest prematurely and injured itself, being fed by



