ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET. 5 
the time, by quarrelling among themselves, or even turning to and 
plucking out their own feathers by the roots, until they leave themselves 
quite bare. 
As soon as the young of one brood can feed themselves, it is desirable 
to remove them to other quarters, lest they interfere with the domestic 
arrangement of their parents, and prejudice the production of another 
brood. Of course overcrowding must be carefully avoided, and if a 
separate aviary can be given to each species, so much the better: but 
this is not absolutely, nor even imperatively necessary, as most of these 
birds are fond of company, and thrive better in the society of theii 
fellows than when kept alone by themselves. 
A male Rosella kept in a cage by himself, especially when he has 
been brought up by hand, makes a very nice pet, if somewhat noisy, for 
he gets very tame, and learns to speak fairly well : but a pair are most 
objectionable, for the male becomes intensely jealous, and spiteful, and 
his shrieking propensities are quadrupled. A hen Rosella is a very 
quiet, gentle little bird, seldom or never shrieking, and as she is quite 
as handsome as her mate, thoug'h a trifle smaller, she should be pre- 
ferred as a cage pet : she is not very intellectual we must admit, but 
otherwise she is superior to her more demonstrative partner. 
Independently of the subject of our next two chapters, there are 
several varieties of Rosellas to be met with in Australia; for instance, 
one called by the dealers “the large Rosella” otherwise the Adelaide 
Parrakeet ( Ps-ittacus platycercus Adelaides, Gld.), and the small, or Earl 
of Derby’s Parrakeet, which is found in West Australia only; and in 
addition to these, Gould enumerates other specific varieties, which all 
bear a strong family likeness to the bird under consideration, and by 
an unpractised eye are scarcely to be distinguished from it. 
