28 MANY-COLOURED PABBAKEET. 



must be taken not to place them with any of the strong-billed and 

 mischievous varieties of their compatriots; they may be rendered very 

 tame by the judicious administration of their favourite morsels, to 

 obtain which they soon overcome their natural timidity and fear of 

 man. 



In their native country they breed in the hollow branches of trees, 

 laying three or four white eggs on the bare wood ; and have usually 

 two broods during the season. We have no authentic record of their 

 having been bred in this country, or even on the continent; for although 

 some were advertised recently as u aviary-bred", we cannot believe 

 that the birds so offered saw the light in this changeable clime. 



It is a pity they are so delicate and hard to preserve, for, with one 

 or two exceptions, they are the most beautiful and desirable of all 

 the Australian Parrakeets. When in good health they are very lively 

 and active, and the male has a soft and musical voice, of which, 

 especially during the pairing season, he avails himself pretty freely. 



As might be expected from their gentle and inoffensive disposition, 

 the sexes are strongly attached to each other, and are really much 

 more truly deserving of the appellation of Love-birds than the short, 

 squat little creatures upon whom it is usually bestowed. 



We should take it as the greatest of favours if those readers who 

 may attempt to keep these beautiful birds as recommended by us, or 

 upon any other plan, would communicate the result of their endeavours 

 to us through our publishers, for it is only by such interchange of 

 experiences that we can ever hope to arrive at a solution of the dif- 

 ficulty hitherto experienced by amateurs in preserving this and the 

 species that forms the subject of the following chapter. 



When in health, and gradually weaned off to seed, sponge-cake and 

 bruised figs, not forgetting the mealworms, the Many-coloured Par- 

 rakeets are not particularly susceptible to cold, but during severe 

 weather avail themselves of the cozy shelter of a hollow log: in fact 

 they get on much better without, than with, artificial heat in winter, 

 and we have seen them successfully wintered out of doors, during the 

 severe seasons of four and five years ago, and never saw finer, or, 

 apparently, more healthy and vigorous birds. 



M. Alfred Rousse, of Pontenay-le-Oomte, records a case of successful 

 reproduction of the Many-coloured Parrakeet last year. 



