The Marquess of Tavistock—Breeding of the Hooded Parrakeet 59


much more slender. The cock has the cheeks, throat, breast, and rump

a lovely pale blue with a tinge of sea-green. The cap, back of the neck,

and mantle are sooty black and sooty grey and in each wing is a large

patch of buttercup yellow. The tail is very narrow and the central

feathers are dark. Both sexes have the under tail-coverts salmon

coloured. The hen is very different from her mate as is usual with the

Psephoti. Her general plumage is pale yellowish olive with a pale

blue rump and a pale bluish mother-of-pearl tint on the cheeks, throat,

breast, and under parts. The young of both sexes much resemble the

hen, immature cocks being a little bigger than their sisters and having

bluer cheeks. Unlike Red-rumps and Many-colours, they do not

assume adult plumage until they are a year old.


The call of the Hooded Parrakeet is less musical than that of its

allies but is not loud enough to be in any way objectionable. The cock

when displaying depresses his wings, puffs the feathers of the head

and lower breast, and tucks in his “ chin ”, making a slight curtsey

as he alights and uttering a call rather like the syllables “ Chissick ” !


Hooded Parrakeets do well in certain districts ; badly in others ;

an inland situation appearing to be healthier for them than one near

the sea. They throve extremely well at Woburn with no particular

care and do well with Mr. Boosey at Keston. Mr. Ezra’s pair also appear

to thrive. Peasmarsh, unfortunately, does not really suit them. I

lost my first hen and both of my present breeding pair have been ill

more than once though I hope they are now more acclimatized.


Hooded Parrakeets in a wild state breed in termite mounds, making

a burrow like their cousin the Paradise. Australian aviculturalists

have, I believe, induced them to use artificial nests of baked clay

which, no doubt, are the healthiest type for the young, but so far I

have not been able to induce them to patronize such nests at a reason¬

able time of year.


No Parrakeet in proportion to its size needs more flying exercise

than the Hooded and none is more easily harmed by close confine¬

ment and hard artificial perches. Deprived of exercise and slender

twigs to perch on, its beak and feet quickly become deformed, its

tail feathers grow crooked and unsightly, and in a year or two it makes

its exit to a happier world.



