210 The Breeding of Lorikeets in Captivity.


large box-shaped cage in a conservatory. The cage is 3 feet 6

inches wide and 1 foot 10 inches in depth, and the height is

equal to the width. In January 1906 two eggs were laid in a

corner on the floor of the cage but with no result. On January

13th, 1907, an egg was laid in the same place, and a second fol-

lowed about ten days later. The eggs were placed in a shallow

wooden tray, about one inch deep, filled with sawdust, and the

birds appear to have generally sat together on the eggs. Incu-

bation commenced about a week after the first egg was laid, and

one young bird was hatched on the 12th of February, the second

egg being also fertile. At first it was covered with white down.

The bill was black.


Being unaware that there was anything very remarkable in

the breeding of this species in captivity Miss Little did not keep

any notes on the subject, so I am unable to give any details re-

garding the assumption of the plumage. But when I saw the

young bird on April 25th it was ten weeks old and its plumage

was similar and in every respect to that of its parents except that

it was not nearly so brilliant. The bill was just changing from

black to yellow. It could fly and feed itself, though the parents

also fed it.


The cage in which these birds live is kept at the side of a

passage in the conservatory, and is constantly being passed at all

times of the day. Nesting boxes and logs were supplied, but the

birds would have none of them, but preferred the floor of their

cage, surely a remarkable preference for birds of such arboreal

habit as the Trichoglossil The birds are fed on bread and milk,

fruit and seed, and no extra food has been supplied during the

rearing of this young bird.


This case is, I think, a very interesting one, and onl5 r

shows how ready some birds are to adapt themselves to circum-

stances. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Edward Bidwell for

bringing this case to my notice, and to Miss Little for her kind-

ness in allowing me to see her birds and for explaining every-

thing to me.


The other species that have bred in this country may be

here enumerated. Apparently they are but three in number : —


Forsten's Lorikeet {Trichoglossus forsteni) bred by Mrs.



