212 Correspondence, Notes, etc.


tail is in very bad condition, and one might safely allow half an inch more

at least.


I might also mention that I have a rarity for which I am not properly

grateful, a Yellow-mantled Parrakeet (P. splendidus). Last winter I bought

two reputed pairs of Rosellas from the Tiretta Bazaar, Calcutta, so as to

give myself a decent chance of really getting one pair. They were none of

them in good condition, and I put down difference in plumage to simple

variations as sex, coming from different parts of the county, or moult ;

and not knowing then that there was a Parrakeet very like the Rosella, did

not bother much about it. This spring two moulted into beautiful birds,

while the other two remained miserable specimens, never got their tails or

the use of their wings. One died in the rains, and the other is in fine

•colour, but has no tail to speak of and cannot fly. I had thought that

there might be a chance that these two miserable birds might be a different

species for some time past, but never bothered to look them up, especially

as, unless routed out, the birds were seldom seen except at the seed pan in

the evening. The two good Rosellas are undoubted common Rosellas,

though I must say there is no trace of yellowish green on rumps or upper

tail coverts, which are pure light green. The other is also undoubtedly the

Yellow-mantled one, and'I wish it was a Common, which are apparently

much hardier, and I hate to have odd birds of a sort. I am sure both my

Many-colours and Redrumps would now be breeding, but unfortunately the

former are both hens and the latter are cocks, and they are hardly on

speaking terms.


One of my Muskies has died, when apparently quite fit, but the three

survivors are very fit: the pair give me great hopes of young, and the odd

bird gets rather a poor time. I have hopes of his chumming up with the

odd red Lorikeet. These Muskies have given me away in my previous

statements concerning them in the Avicultural Magazine of September 1905.


They now like clean water to bathe in just as well as dirty, and now

their staple diet consists of bread and milk sop instead of Canary seed,

though they still largely partake of this seed. They are very fond of apple,

pear, medlars, and watery plums, but do not care for apricots or bananas.

Flowers they revel in, a flower something like a Marigold (we call them

French Marigold) has been invaluable, though it has a strong pungent smell

when crushed. It grows like a weed here, and lasts from September to

February ; flowers are preferred, but the plant, especially when young, is

also greedily eaten, and seems to suit the Parrakeets well. My estimated

length of the Musky is correct, total length is a little over ten inches, of

which four consists of tail (to base).


I hope my description of the red bird will suffice, though I know that

even the best description is very unsatisfactory as compared with a skin for

purposes of identification. G. A. PERREAU (Capt).


Bakloh, Punjab, India, 29/1/06.


[Either Wallace’s Lor)' (Eos wallacei) or the Violet-necked Lory

(E. riciniala) it is difficult to say without comparison of specimens.—Ed.]



