260 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



(171) THE BED-CHEEKED PAREAKEET. 

 (PAL^EORNIS EEYTHEOGENYS— (Blyth.) ) 



Description. — Total length of an adult male is about 18 inches 

 (larger specimens have also been recorded) ; the maxilla red, tip yellow ; 

 the mandible horny grey or blackish ; the characteristic feature of the 

 species is the red cheek ; general plumage green. 



Bab.— The Andaman Islands. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 About three years. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — Most of the birds mentioned above are commonly 

 domesticated in Bengal, and are either kept in circular dome-shaped 

 iron cages, or chained to a perch : in a zoological garden, however, a 

 spacious aviary is by far the best accommodation for them, particularly 

 for the rose-headed and the blue-winged parrakeets; some of them 

 have tremendous cutting power in their beaks, and there are birds that 

 appear to take delight in destroying everything that comes in their 

 way ; such destructive birds should be turned out of an aviary unless 

 the wire netting is strong enough to resist the ceaseless assault of their 

 powerful beaks : they are all fond of a bath, and when living in a 

 large aviary they have no difficulty in gratifying this love of cleanli- 

 ness, but when kept in a cage or chained up to a perch, a cold water 

 douche would be very agreeable to them, especially during the hot 

 weather. 



Food. — Like the cockatoos, they also thrive on grain, seeds, and 

 vegetables ; in this garden they are ordinarily fed upon gram, soaked 

 or raw ; paddy, Indian-corn, chillies, and vegetables; by way of change, 

 fruits, biscuits, boiled potatoes are also given them occasionally ; the 

 rose-headed and red- cheeked parrakeets are particularly fond of fruits, 

 and most of them enjoy a feast of ripe papya (Carica papya) : all must 

 have ready access to clean drinking-water. 



Breeding. — The ring-necked parrakeets have laid several times, but 

 have not yet succeeded in hatching out a brood ; this is, however, 

 no fault of theirs; their surroundings are most unsuitable for such a 

 domestic success ; they often breed in a wild state in the garden ; they 

 are seldom found to bore holes in trees, but prefer a water-spout of a 

 high terraced building to build their nest in. There is no doubt that, 

 if the treatment recommended for the breeding of cockatoos be adopted 

 in the case of these parrakeets also, some, if not most, of them will 

 breed freely. 



Transport. — A cage similar to that recommended for the con- 

 veyance of cockatoos, but proportionately smaller, and with lighter rods 

 in front, will do for these ; the rose-headed, slaty -headed, and the blue- 

 winged parrakeets are not much given to cutting, and their cage need 

 not therefore be lined with zinc inside ; when, during the transport, 

 cold latitudes are reached, the cage should be well wrapped in blanket 



