Parrots ^ Parakeets 179 



being dark blue black. The queen, his mate, is 

 slightly larger than he is, when fully grown ; and 

 where he is scarlet she is green. 



To breed king parrots successfully, as indeed is 

 the case with many others, it is best to give them 

 an aviary to themselves, with some large hollow logs 

 placed in various positions. 



Perhaps the most showy of all the Australians is 

 the blood-winged parakeet — somewhat smaller than 

 the king — whose plumage is boldly divided in rich 

 contrast of colouring. 



The dazzling emerald green head and breast, the 

 small coral red bill, the deep black-grey of the 

 shoulders, the magnificent cardinal of the upper wing, 

 and the broad green tail, with its upper coverts of 

 brilliant blue, go to making up as fine a combination 

 of colours as one could hope to see. 



The hen is, for the most part, green in different 

 shades ; affording a pretty set off to her mate's more 

 gaudy feathering. 



These larger parakeets are much more frequently 

 imported, frequenting as they do districts nearer 

 the coast. 



There are several more, such as rose hills (rosellas), 

 mealy rosellas, pennants, barrabands. Port Lincolns, 

 fiery parakeets, redrumps, &c. 



I regret that owing to a necessary curtailment in 

 the number of my sketches, I am unable to give any 

 illustrations of them ; but after all, when they are not 

 done in colours, it is difficult to convey any real idea 

 of their true beauty. 



