68 
BABBABAND’8 PABBAKEBT. 
next paragraph hut one, on the same page, he also says, “Green Leeks 
do not show any strong affection one for the other”, which is surely 
somewhat inconsistent. 
The same author concludes his chapter on Barrahand^s Parrot with 
the following recommendation: — “The treatment of the G-reen Leek 
should be the same as that of the Ring-necked.^'’ 
Mr. Wiener, on the other hand, with more exactness, remarks, ‘^'^This 
Parrakeet is said to liTe on the bloom of the wattle shrub during part 
of the year, but he does not appear to be quite as delicate as the 
Paradise or Many-coloured, although I have gathered costly experience 
by seeing Barrabands fall in fits from their perches for very trivial 
causes.” 
Dr. Russ, whose intimate knowledge of the subject is second to none, 
advises the Barraband to be fed on hemp-seed, fresh ants’ eggs, meal- 
worms, and egg food; while Mr. Wiener fed his on canary-seed, millet 
in the ear, and groundsel: be that as it may, we believe that insect 
food of some kind is indispensable, and prefer fresh ants’ eggs, when 
obtainable, to any other; failing these, however, we give a preference 
to mealworms, about a dozen daily for each bird, and a piece of sponge 
cake a day old: on this diet a Barraband will live for some years, 
varying the bill of fare now and then with boiled rice, sweetened with 
Jamaica or Mauritius sugar, bruised figs, or even currants soaked; and 
any kind of flowers, such as cabbage blooms, mignonette, pea and bean 
blossoms, and so on; but if attempted to be kept on the food suitable 
for a Ring-necked Parrakeet, the chances are the poor birds would 
very soon have fits, which means either death, or, which is almost 
worse, paralysis. 
Although difficult to keep on the score of food, the Barraband is 
not very susceptible to climatic influences, but, on the contrary, is able 
to stand a very low temperature with perfect impunity. 
So far none of these birds have been bred in captivity, either here 
or on the continent, nor are we even aware of any cases of egg pro- 
duction among them. 
On the whole, we can scarcely recommend the tyro in Parrot keeping 
to invest his money in Barrabands, which are by no means common, 
and, when imported, usually fetch from £3 to £4 each in the market. 
That they are handsome and elegant birds, the male especially, no one 
will attempt to deny, but enough has been said to show that they are 
even more difficult to preserve than the Purple-cap or Blue Mountain 
Lory. 
‘^A constant supply of green food and a great variety of seeds” 
are suggested by Mr. Wiener as a preventive of fits, to which an un- 
