2 
ROSE-BILL PARRAKEET. 
smaller than he is, and the tints of her plumage rather less vivid than 
his. 
The young resemble their parents, but are much less brilliant in 
appearance: they grow slowly, and seldom assume the adult plumage 
until quite twelve months old. 
The Rosella is a very hardy bird, caring nothing for our severest 
winters, providing the aviary in which he is placed is sheltered from 
the north-east winds, and he has some snug box, or hollow log, to 
which he and his wife can retire during the coldest nights. 
In the matter of diet, he will do very well on canary, hemp, and 
oats, with bread-crumbs, and green food of all kinds added: water 
he should always have access to, although the authorities at the Zoolo- 
gical Gardens in the Regent’s Park are of a different opinion; but in 
Australia, we have seen flocks of them frequenting the water-holes and 
creeks at all hours of the day, and so thirsty are they, that they will 
drink salt-water if they cannot get any other. 
The Rosella has very frequently been bred in Germany and in France 
and Belgium as well as in this country, and may now be almost looked 
upon as a European bird; the greatest obstacle in the way of its 
successful rearing being the great resemblance of the sexes, which 
renders it difficult to secure a pair: the female is rather more subject 
to egg-binding than the other members of the family which have been 
bred in our aviaries, and requires to be carefully watched at the com- 
mencement of the nesting season, so that she may be placed under 
treatment at the very first indication of illness. 
In the matter of inability to lay her eggs, prevention will be found 
to be always better than cure, and if the bird be strong and healthy, 
and has had access to old lime, there will be little fear of her being 
attacked by this distressing complication: when, however, it manifests 
itself, the bird must be captured, given a dose of castor-oil, have the 
vent anointed with the same, and be placed in a warm room: then, 
when the egg has been laid, she had better not be returned to her 
mate for some time — not at all if she appears to be in the least 
drooping. 
There is no doubt that dun' n g their breeding season in Australia 
the Rosellas eat a considerable number of insects, notably coleoptera 
and white ants, which they find in hollow logs and branches: and in 
captivity we would recommend that a few mealworms, or even scoured 
gentles be given them when about to nest, as well as when there are 
young ones to be fed. 
It will be readily understood that seven or eight young Parrakeets 
will consume a large amount of food, and so bread, soaked in cold 
