116 BUDGERIGAR. 



"Once there, he stops to take breath. He really is upset, I can 

 assure you, the dear little fellow. 



"Papa and mamma fly to his assistance; perch themselves by his 

 side; talk to him; cheer him; laugh at him, and feed him, by turn. 



"Then they plume their baby: they smooth the feathers of his wings 

 and tail, which the dirt of the nest might have soiled, or stuck to- 

 gether, so that the youngster may be clean, in possession of all his 

 powers, and have the free use of his serial apparatus. 



"He looks at himself, thinks himself handsome, as proud as an 

 urchin who has just handled his first pair of knickers. 



"He perks himself, preens his feathers, stretches out one foot, and 

 then a wing. 



" f Ah! fact is one had not room to turn oneself at the bottom of a 

 well, jammed in with five or six others, in a hole a few inches wide/ 



"He gapes, as he stares at you. His manner, half timid, half defiant, 

 seems to say, 'Well, what is it?' 



"'Do you think one si comfortable in a press V 



"So: once he has quitted the hollow log, he returns to it no more. 

 That is finished, thank Heaven! you are not likely to catch him at it 



"Unless — that is to say — the weather should change to cold. 



"He has tasted liberty, and he enjoys it." 



"We have heard of cases in which the peculiarly English superstition 

 of keeping Parrots without water has been extended to the subject of 

 the pi-esent notice; one person boasting that he kept his "Australian 

 Love-Bird" for, we forget how many, years without any moisture but 

 what the poor creature derived from "pellets of bread and butter 

 chewed in the mouth!" Is it possible to imagine anything more 

 horrible ! and the marvellous part of the thing to us is how the practice 

 can have arisen. 



Budgerigars seldom bathe, and never if they can find wet grass to 

 roll in. In their native land they seem to prefer brackish to fresh 

 water, and are much benefited by fresh cuttle-fish backs being given 

 them to peck at; a piece of rock-salt at the bottom of their cage, or 

 on the floor of their aviary, is also much relished, and is greatly con- 

 ducive to health. 



These little birds live for about ten years in captivity, but are not 

 much good for breeding after four years; in fact we have found hens 

 of little use after their third year: so that a constant infusion of fresh 

 blood into the perrucherie is essential, especially as few birds so de- 

 teriorate by in-breeding as the Budgerigar. 



We have seen birds of this species of an entirely yellow plumage, 



