ROSE-HILL PABBAKEET. 5 



the time,, by quarrelling among themselves, or even turning to and 

 plucking out their own feathers by the roots, uutil they leave themselves 

 quite bare. 



As soon as the young of one brood can feed themselves, it is desirable 

 to remove them to other quarters, lest they interfere with the domestic 

 arrangement of their parents, and prejudice the production of another 

 brood. Of course overcrowding must be carefully avoided, and if a 

 separate aviary can be given to each species, so much the better: but 

 this is not absolutely, nor even imperatively necessary, as most of these 

 birds are fond of company, and thrive better in the society of their 

 fellows than when kept alone by themselves. 



A male Eosella kept in a cage by himself, especially when he has 

 been brought up by hand, makes a very nice pet, if somewhat noisy, for 

 he gets very tame, and learns to speak fairly well: but a pair are most 

 objectionable, for the male becomes intensely jealous, and spiteful, and 

 his shrieking propensities are quadrupled. A hen Rosella is a very 

 quiet, gentle little bird, seldom or never shrieking, and as she is quite 

 as handsome as her mate, though a trifle smaller, she should be pre- 

 ferred as a cage pet: she is not very intellectual we must admit, but 

 otherwise she is superior to her more demonstrative partner. 



Independently of the subject of our next two chapters, there are 

 several varieties of Rosellas to be met with in Australia; for instance, 

 one called by the dealers "the large Rosella" otherwise the Adelaide 

 Parrakeet (Psittacus platycercus Adelaides, Grid.), and the small, or Earl 

 of Derby's Parrakeet, which is found in West Australia only; and in 

 addition to these, Gould enumerates other specific varieties, which all 

 bear a strong family likeness to the bird under consideration, and by 

 an unpractised eye are scarcely to be distinguished from it. 



