Aviary Notes for i^ij ■ 
33 
in a larjL;e nest box — their only shelter, the aviary being quite 
open except for a wooden fence on one side. 
( )n November 4th, when about to cage the birds for the 
winter. 1 found the hen sitting on two eggs; as their milk sop 
was frozen each morning I risked moving the birds indoors and 
did so at dead of night, moving the box with the two Lorikeets 
inside. While being carried in they made violent attempts to 
get out. but settled down cjuite quietly after I had attached the 
box to the cage which was to be their new home. Much to my 
disappointment both birds were off the eggs next day and made 
no attempt to sit — after all it was to be expected, and I felt sure 
they would lay again soon ; in this I was not disappointed, for 
on December 12th the hen was sitting. On the 15th she was off 
and looking mopy. ( )n inspecting the nest I found only one 
egg, so caught uj) the hen and found her egg-bound. She was 
forthwith well lubricated and put in a small cage close to an 
anthracite stove and 1 was more than pleased the following- 
morning to find an egg on the cage bottom and the hen looking 
quite herself. I at once replaced her in her breeding cage with 
her mate — there was much jubilation on his part and pairing at 
once took place. The egg I placed in the nest box with its 
fellow, but the birds' equanimity had been upset and they did not 
sit. The egg is white and extremely globular in shape. I 
believe two to be the full clutch. I am hoping that they will 
make one more attempt and be successful this time. 
The compartment of the breeding cage below that ten- 
anted by the Swainson's contains a pair of Red-collared 
Lorikeets (T . ruhrliorqucs) . These are sitting steadily, in fact 
I discovered them on eggs on the same day as the Swainson's 
started their last attempt. I hope for the best and am prepared 
for the worst. 
These loriciili appear to have more difficulty than have 
other Australian Parrots in accommodating themselves to tli{_ 
change of seasons of another hemisphere. 
An exceptionally hne i)air of Rosellas ( Platyccrcns 
cximius), which spent last winter in the Parrakeet aviary, soon 
began to make themselves unpleasant with the advance of spring 
and were therefore removed to a small aviary, 9ft. x 3ft. x 6ft. 
high. On May 5th the nest box contained three eggs, and or. 
