PSITTACA CALITA. 



pear of a very social disposition. At first, I had two broods in separate 

 cages, the one of five, the other four in number. On letting them out of 

 their cages the first day to feed and run about, the two broods seemed 

 very shy of each other, and some of them shewed an inclination to fight. 

 They soon, however, became friends, and always continued so afterwards. 

 They knew quite well their respective cages, were always obedient to the 

 word of command when desired to go in, but for a long time refused en- 

 tering that of their neighbour brood. The two which still remain in my 

 possession, and which seem male and female, appear much attached to each 

 other, as evinced by many acts of playful kindness. On several occasions, 

 when they have been separated from each other for a short period, they 

 appeared unusually dull ; while, on their meeting again, they express their 

 satisfaction by a peculiar cry, which they also sometimes make use of on see- 

 ing those to whom they have been long accustomed. They have been taught 

 to articulate several words, and, when alone in the forenoon, seem, as it were, 

 to go over their lesson, commencing with the words they had first learned, 

 the one repeating the word after the other with a more shrill voice. They 

 will not, however, speak in the presence of strangers, of whom they seem to 

 have some dread. They seem much terrified at the sight of a cat, and 

 even when one is seen outside the window, emit the loudest cries till some 

 one come near, when they appear to feel quite confident. They have 

 been kept together in the hope of their breeding, but I have reason to 

 think that their being together has prevented their speaking so well as 

 they would have done under different circumstances, as the male, who was 

 at one time by himself for several months, spoke nearly the whole day, and 

 even attempted to imitate part of an air he had heard played ; he conti- 

 nued doing so for some time after he joined the other. They seem re- 

 markably fond of music, listening to it with much apparent pleasure." 



a2 



