64 BLOSSOM-HEADED PARRAEEET. 



the Lesser Ring-necked, but of even more slender and elegant build: 

 the head, as the English name indicates, is of a delicate plum colour, 

 that is to say red shaded with blue, fainter on the cheeks than on 

 the occiput and nape. The black stripes extending from the mandibles 

 are continued as a collar round the neck, the top of the wing is 

 marked by a red spot, and the under wing coverts are verditer blue. 



The adult females want the black colour, which, in their case, is 

 replaced by a ring, or necklet of pale yellow, the head is rather lilac 

 or blue-grey than plum colour, and the tips of the tail feathers are 

 yellow. 



In both sexes the upper mandible is yellow, but the lower a dusky 

 horn colour. 



The young have the top of the head dull green, rather of a darker 

 shade than the back, contrasting with the latter, and indicating where 

 the cap will be: both mandibles are wax-yellow, and they have no 

 wing-spot. 



The call is not unmelodious, and they have an agreeable kind of 

 song; the food should be seeds of all kinds, rice boiled soft, but not 

 pulpy, a little yolk of egg, fruit and mealworms being added if it be 

 desired to attempt to breed them. Figs, too, they are very fond of. 

 They are very hardy, and seldom ail anything, and with common care 

 they will live for many years in the house, in full enjoyment of health, 

 and in perfection of plumage. 



Their habits are lively, and they show to much better advantage in 

 a large aviary than in a cage, but will not become as familiar in 

 comparative liberty, as they do when kept in closer quarters: so that 

 if it be desired to tame one of them, a young male had better be 

 selected, and he will be found to be everything that a pet bird should 

 be. 



Of all the Palceornes we much prefer the subject of the present 

 notice, which is, in every sense of the word, a nice bird, and only 

 requires to better known to be appreciated as he deserves. 



This charming bird was described under the name of the Cardinal 

 Parrot, der Kardinal Sitticli, towards the close of the last century, by 

 Bechstein, who enumerated three "varieties", which, properly speaking, 

 were one and the same bird in different stages of development. 



The same author gives "his Eminence" but an indifferent character 

 for intelligence. "This Parrakeet", says the ancient one (Der alte), 

 "so easily distinguished by its plumage, is lively, fearful, and its cry 

 is frequent. It learns nothing of itself, and it is with great difficulty 

 that it can be made to repeat a few words", which is surely a libel 

 on an interesting and most desirable bird. 



