135 



^grREY-ffjEADED 



or ^Madagascar IMoveJIird. 



Psittacus canus, Russ. 



Synonyms: Agapornis cana, Psittacus canus, Gml.; 



Psittacus polyocar, Fkst.; Polyopsitta cana, Bp., etc.; Psittacula 



Madagascariensis, Fnsch.; Psittacula cana, Lss., etc. 



Gekman: Der graukopjige Zwergpapagei. 



CLOSELY resembling the two previous species in size and general 

 appearance, the Madagascar Love-bird is perhaps the least desirable 

 of all three as an inmate of the aviary, in consequence of its intolerably 

 quarrelsome disposition: some amateurs have, nevertheless, found it 

 harmless, and Dr. Russ himself appears to have had individuals of this 

 species that differed vastly in character, for on page 255 of his Hand- 

 hook, paragraph 419, he says: "The little Grey-head (Grauhopfchen) is 

 one of the most desirable inhabitants of the bird-room, and is to be 

 prized above them all, as the most charming, most peaceable, and most 

 readily nesting of birds." 



On the very next page the doctor remai-ks: "Look out how you place 

 a pair, or an old male, in the same cage with small birds, for it will 

 murderously (morderisch) bite their legs:" and such has been our ex- 

 perience, not only in a cage, but in a large bird-room: whence we 

 were compelled to remove them, after the loss of several of the inmates. 



The general colour of these birds is green, but the head, neck, and 

 upper breast of the male are pale lavender; the female is green, and 

 can only be distinguished from a Passerine Parrakeet (Psittacus pas- 

 serinus), or from the female of the Blue- winged Parrakeet (Psittacus 

 gregarius), by the black spots on her tail. 



Several amateurs, both in Germany and in this country, have sue- 



