290 E. J. Boosey—Breeding of the Splendid Grass Parrakeet


encouragement to his wife he proceeded to go through all the motions

of having a bath in imaginary water, keeping up a curious hoarse

grumbling noise the while. This apparently proved irresistible to the

hen, who was shortly afterwards seen to enter the log, though she

discouraged further imaginary bathing on the part of her husband

by rushing out to drive him away each time he appeared at the entrance

hole. About this period he was frequently seen feeding her but it was

some considerable time before the first egg was laid. The full clutch

consisted of seven and the hen apparently started to sit after laying

the fourth.


Things went swimmingly for a week, and then one began to have

that dreadful feeling that it was all too good to be true, and so it turned

out to be. For when the hen had been sitting for ten days, the cock

suddenly became completely paralysed as to the wings and feet. He was

at once transferred to the hospital where he made a very slow, though

complete, recovery ; but meanwhile there seemed nothing for it but

to take away the eggs and distribute them under foster parents-—

a hen Bourke’s and a hen Turquoisine fortunately having just started

to sit at the same time.


This was duly accomplished and all seven eggs proved to be fertile.

Then “ X ” (the evil genius of aviculture, discovered and named by

Lord Tavistock) decided to intervene. This time he and Dr. Buchan

between them managed to produce several bitterly cold nights, just

at the psychological moment when the hen Torquoisine ceased to brood

her growing family of Splendids. As a result of this, all but two died,

these eventually being fully reared, and very fine youngsters.


At the same time, “ X ” achieved his real tour de force with the

brood under the Bourke’s. Assisted by the extremely hot, dry weather,

he caused their log to split from end to end, hurling the young Splendids

into the long grass below. Needless to say, being very young, they

perished before the calamity was discovered.


By way of convincing those who do not believe in the actual existence

of “ X ”, one might mention that numerous similar logs were also

in use here at Keston (cut in some cases from the same tree) housing

at the time lesser rarities such as Bourke’s, etc. All these, however,

remained intact, for “ X ”, who will usually turn a blind eye to the



