56 
My Madagascar Lovebirds 
niiiuites (does not feed), possibly daily, certainly two or three 
times a week, and usually after a mild fly sits beside the cock 
just outside the nest and is fed by him. 
I cannot g'we the incubation period with any exactness, 
and I do not care to guess, but, from the time when they ceased 
to carry nesting material to the first day I heard the faint hissing 
noise of young in the nest was twenty-five days, and I must 
leave the matter there — they are very secretive and it is almost 
impossible to tell when the first egg is laid, when incubation 
begins, or exactly when the young are hatched. 
The young are fed by regurgitation, similar to Budgeri- 
gnrs. I was able to pick out the cocks in the nestling jdumage, 
as their heads were a mixture of greyish-green and green — they 
dunned the fully mature plumage at the first moult. 
The plumage of these handsome but well-known birds 
does not call for description, but for the benefit of new beginners 
T may briefly say that the hen is all green, and the male 
('iffers in having the head and l)reast silvery-grey. 
It is a native of Madagascar, but has been introduced into 
other neighbouring islands, and is very common and numerous. 
Mr. J. Sibree in " A Naturalist in Madagascar," writes of 
them as follows : 
" I'ntil taking' tliis jouniev 1 had not seen in anv niimher the prettv little 
" parrakeet of which Madagascar po.sses.se.s a peculiar species ( Psittanila 
" iu(ida_i;;ascarie)isis ). But we noticed a hirge flock of these birds one day. ami 
" their light green plumage, with whitish hrcasts and grevisli-white heads, 
" render them rather conspicuous. Thev go in large flocks, often as many 
'■ as a liunilred togetlier, and sometimes do considerable damage to the 
" rice crops. The two sexes of this i)arrakeet show great affection for each 
" other, the |iair silting close togclher on their perch, from uhicli habit 
'' lhe\- .'irc r)ftcn called love-birds." 
I will only add in conclusion that this species makes a 
pleasing addition to the small parrakeet aviary, and that my 
pairs have always been associated with Budgerigars and Passer- 
ine Paro(]uets. There was no serious ciuarrelling, occasionally 
a little " sparring " occurred, but a tragedy from this cause 
never hai)pened in my aviary. 
