180 The Breeding of the Passerine Parrotlet at Liberty


did not seem to have much use for the society of the widowers. I hoped

that she might be sitting. The cock Bluewing, by the way, feeds his

sitting mate, like a Rosella, and does not sit on the eggs, though I think

he enters the nest at night. In September I obtained two new hens

and released them for a few weeks to get used to the place and keep the

unpaired males from straying. The rougher of the two I caught up

with her husband early the following month. At the beginning of

October the first hen reappeared and looked as though she had come

from a nest, as she was less spick and span than when I had last seen

her. From then onward she appeared with increasing frequency at the

feeding-tray. About the 10th of the month I began to hear squeaking

in the trees, which sounded fainter than and different in key from the

calls of the old birds. About the 15th I saw what I felt almost sure was

a young bird at the feeding-tray, and on the 19th I was agreeably

surprised to see nine Bluewings feeding at one time—the two old pairs

and five young ones. On the morning of the 22nd I saw seven feeding

together — the family as I thought — and, fearing a sudden break in the

mild weather, I caught the lot. As I was taking them indoors a single

adult cock flew over my head, and I concluded that his mate was

starting a belated nest which it would not be wise to allow her to con¬

tinue with. The seven were placed in a large cage, and left in a quiet

room to settle down, which they soon did. The cock at liberty I

captured about 11 o’clock and placed, for the time being, in a cage

out of doors. I expected his mate to leave her nest before evening

when he no longer came to feed her. About 2 o’clock, sure enough,

I heard a Bluewing calling in the trees, but the voice sounded more

like that of a young than an old bird. A little later I put the cock’s cage

outside in the hope of his acting as a decoy. In a few minutes, sure

enough, down came the owner of the voice—not an adult hen, as I

supposed, but a very hungry little cock, who unavailinglv besought the

prisoner to feed him. Then I saw what had happened ; we had caught

the second hen before breakfast, and had her already in the house,

leaving the fifth youngster at liberty. He had had nothing to eat all

day, being scarcely able to feed himself and being ignorant of the exact

whereabouts of the feeding-tray. I moved the cage into an aviary

flight, and the young Bluewing soon followed, but when I went to shut



