The Breeding of Blue-Bonnet Parrakeets. 141 
survivors — two cocks and a hen — to be cared for by a friend in 
GloLicestershire. One cock was a fine typical specimen of the 
handsome nortliern race, the otlier and the hen were inter- 
mediate between the northern and tlie common form, having a 
mixture of red and ohve feathers on the wing and red and yellow 
feathers under the tail; there is, of course, not the slightest 
justification f-or treating the Blue-bonnets as two species — even 
less than exists for separating the Bauer's and Yellow- naped 
Parrakeets, which show similar intergradation. 
The two male Blue-bonnets were very vigorous birds, 
but the hen seemed less robust, and once or twice has had to be 
taken indoors in bad weather, showing a sensitiveness to cold 
very unusual in her race. Although well housed the pair never 
got beyond inspecting a nest-box and I quite gave them up as 
non-breeders. 
Last winter the three birds were moved to my house in 
Hampshire : as they were being unpacked the cock of the pair 
slipped out of the cage, gained his liberty, but evidently pre- 
ferred captivity to separation from his mate, for, within a few 
seconds, he was trying to get back to her. He followed her to 
the aviary intended for the reception of the pair and entered 
the next one which had the top open for the use of birds at 
liberty. Seeing that he was obviously a devoted husband I did 
not trouble to catch him again, deciding to leave him at liberty 
until the breeding season. The other cock occupied a small 
flight at a little distance. Everything went smoothly for the 
next few months ; the Blue-bonnet at liberty proved well able to 
look after himself. He speedily mastered all the other Parra- 
keets except the Great-bill, even the Banded, who had a vixenish 
temper and could bite like a rat, proving no match for him. A 
Sparrow-hawk whose visits to the garden were more regular 
than welcome never got near him, for he had learned the lesson 
of self-preservation in a hard school, where Hawks were prob- 
ably of hourly occurrence and he was ofif like greased lightning 
the moment the enemy came in sight. The single cock, who, 
previous to his neighbour's marriage had shared an aviary with 
him on friendly terms, was at first anxious to renew acquaint- 
