Breeding of Passerine Parrakeets, etc. 247 
I think it will be safe to assume that for the entire period 
of incubation (as certainly was the case up to the time the young 
birds were three weeks old), the hen never left her nest. The 
cock was actively employed in supplying the wants of his family, 
he seemed to feed them principally — if not entirely — on spray 
millet. There is one point I noticed about the young Passerines 
that may be worth a passing mention, and that is (unlike their 
"cousins" the Black Cheeks, which almost invariably "brood" 
with their parents, even when they are again incubating) that the 
Passerines never once returned to their nesting place, but prac- 
tically from the first cut themselves adrift from their parents and 
kept quite to themselves. They were certainly sturdy and in- 
dependent little persons and full of character. 
I regret that not being the happy posses.sor of heated 
aviaries, the young birds and the old ))air have now passed into 
the possession of our esteemed member, Mr. H. Will ford, who 
is fortunately able to provide for their requirements during the 
winter. I have asked Mr. Willford — in the interest of the readers 
of "'our" magazine — to keep notes of the date when the young 
cocks come into colour. When first hatched, and up to the date 
I parted with them (Sept. 29), the birds were of an uniform green, 
with no trace whatever of the blue that distinguishes the cocks ; 
it will certainly be of interest to know at what age the young 
males don that beautiful blue, which is so striking a feature of 
the adult male. 
* * * 
Black-cheeked Lovebirds (^Agapomis ?tigrigenis'). 
While on the subject of Lovebirds, possibly a few random 
notes on "Black Cheeks" may be of interest. I say advisedly 
"random notes." since I have, unfortunately, not kept any par- 
ticular data as to nesting, and I can therefore only generalize. 
In the Spring of this year, our esteemed member, Mr. 
Millsum, very kindly let me have three pairs of Black Cheeks; 
of these, two pairs settled down (perhaps they were old stagers), 
almost at once, but the third pair, after fussing about a good deal, 
apparently made up their minds that my modest attempt at a 
" Rhodesian Forest" was not to their liking, for they declined to 
make themselves "at home." I, therefore, came to tlie con- 
