94 KING P ABBOT, OB PAB.BAKEET. 



for their benefit. A pair of adult King Parrots were placed in an 

 ont-door aviary, only a portion of which was protected from the weather, 

 the interior was fitted up with logs suitable for nesting places, and 

 the whole of the back covered with pieces of virgin cork. The King 

 and Queen soon made themselves at home in their new abode, and 

 commenced by looking out for a house among the hollow logs of 

 various sizes that had been placed at their disposal by the owner: 

 none of these, however, seemed to be to their taste, and after trying 

 first one and then another, they gave up the logs as a bad job alto- 

 gether, and selected for their residence a ledge under the roof in the 

 inner portion of their abode, which was shaded from observation by a 

 broad piece of cork, and on this ledge the Queen deposited her eggs, 

 how many in number the owner could not tell, for he was afraid of 

 disturbing the birds by looking, and in due course the hen hatched 

 and reared her young, sometimes two, sometimes three in number. 



As they are naturally shy and timid, the King Parrots should not 

 be placed in the company of any other birds, especially if it be desired 

 to induce them to breed. Personally we have not made any attempt 

 at breeding these birds, but they are so thoroughly hardy, that there 

 should be no difficulty in getting them to nest. 



Although natives of New South Wales and Queensland, these birds 

 seem to suffer more from heat than from cold, seldom living many 

 years in the house, but lasting for a long time in a properly constructed 

 and well- sheltered aviary out of doors. 



The most suitable food for these birds in the house is grain of all 

 kinds, some of which had better be soaked for them, green food of 

 all sorts, given more sparingly in winter than in summer, nuts and 

 fruit, or even a slice of raw potato: they are very fond of bathing, 

 and should always have an abundant supply of water within reach, 

 but sop is an abomination that should never be offered to them, though 

 a piece of sponge-cake or a biscuit will be relished, or even a slice 

 of dry bread. 



As the King Parrot grows slowly, it should be a long-lived bird, 

 and, with proper care, is; but it cannot stand delicacies or coddling, 

 which soon cause it to droop its wings and fade away, or to fall dead 

 from its perch in a fit. 



It will doubtless have been remarked that we have not hitherto 

 touched upon what some writers make one of the most important features 

 of their works, namely, the Diseases of Birds: our reason is that we 

 consider domesticated birds when properly cared for have no diseases 

 of a curable kind, and we have preferred giving plain directions for 

 the suitable management of our pets, to a number of useless recipes 



