The Breeding of the Alexamlrhie Parrakect. 217 
yellow; this is particularly noticeable when the bird is Hying. 
The father I have never seen feeding the young either in the 
nest, or since they have left it, although I used sometimes 
to see him in its vicinity. On several occasions I f-aw a pair 
of Cuba Finches feeding them vvhilst in the nest. These little 
(Finches also slept with them for the last week they spent in 
the nest and will, I think, now utilise it for bringing up a 
brood of their own little ones. The young birds were raised 
entirely on seed, hemp beirig taken in preference. Tf the 
surviving young one meets with no casualty, and lives to 
change into adult plumage, a full description shall be sent 
later. 
♦ 
The Breeding of the Alexandrine Farrakeets. 
(Palaeornis alexandri). 
By Wm. Shore Baily. 
I am .sending a few notes on the nesting of my Alex- 
andrinas. It is too well known a species to call for any lengthy 
description and I shall merely give the details of the nesting 
episode. 
One of my Banjo nc -ting- boxes was chosen, which 
are more practical than handsome, but the main thing is the 
birds approve of them. 
As will be seen, the entrance is by a square sloping 
tube, leading to the nest chamber, which ha,s a concave lx)ttom 
and a hinged lid (top) for the purposes of examination, etc. 
In the photo the hen bird is seen at the entrance of the 
nest, with one of her progeny on the top of it. 
The hen incubated for twenty-four days, and the young 
were in the nest just two months. 
There was a great stir in the laviary when the first 
young one left the nest; I found it clinging to the wire- 
netting, with the father on one side shouting: " Hullo Polly," 
and the mother on the other whispering " Pretty dear "— 
" Pretty dear." A most amusing episode, especially as the 
hen had been in the aviary ovei a year, during which time 
she had never been heard to utter a word. 
