RING-NECKED OB BENGAL PABBAKEET. 61 



They are often capricious: sometimes they like or dislike a whole 

 sex: sometimes they are guided solely by individual preferences. I 

 had a most accomplished cock-bird once, but all his affection was 

 reserved for ladies: a man could never trust him; he might be polite 

 for a moment, but when he got his chance, he would give a most 

 vicious bite. I know a hen at this moment who will let men handle 

 her, but will bite any woman. 



With regard to the sexes, as a rule the hens are impartially vicious, 

 and they learn much less than the cocks, while they scream quite as 

 much. 



Some of the birds will learn fresh sentences after one buys them. 

 One I bought in Paris, forgot nearly all its French after I parted with 

 it, and became a good English talker, I was told. But, as a rule, 

 birds which speak at command do not add to their knowledge. I 

 shall have more to say on this subject under the head of the Double- 

 fronted Amazon. 



Bengal Parrakeets are very hardy — I do not recollect ever having 

 had one ailing. But if I had, I should treat them with a regimen of 

 great warmth. It is wonderful what heat all the tropical Parrots can 

 bear, and what excellent results it has. They are very fond of washing, 

 and should always have a good bath provided. 



They are not good birds to turn loose out of doors. All the Palce- 

 omis tribe are very powerful on the wing, and seem to have but little 

 homing instinct. They take considerable flights, and unless one happens 

 to see which way they have gone, they are apt to lose themselves. 

 I have no doubt that if they were fed, they could live at liberty all 

 the year round in our climate. One, Palceomis schisticeps, is found in 

 the snow limit of the hills. 



What I have said about the Bengal Parrakeet may be taken as 

 applying to the Senegal Parrakeet. This, though smaller than the 

 Bengal, and slenderer, with a dark bill instead of a rosy one, has 

 precisely the same merits and the same fault of noisiness. They are 

 not so common in England as the Bengal, but in France they are 

 much commoner. Pity that so small a bird should have so loud a 

 scream. The Senegal has a smaller voice in speaking than the Bengal. 



We cannot quite agree with our friend Mr. Dutton here : the Senegal 

 Parrot is not the Ring-necked Parrakeet, whether African or Indian, 

 but a perfectly distinct species, called by Dr. Russ Der Mohrenkopf- 

 Papagei (Psittacus Senegalus): it is of much less frequent occurrence 

 in this country than Palceomis torquatus, nor does it belong to the 



