E. J. Boosey—Breeding of the Splendid Grass Parrakeet 291


propagation of Zebra Finches and Budgerigars (being probably much

too busy elsewhere !) was concerned only with the destruction of the

Splendids and he did his job fairly thoroughly, for from seven' fertile

eggs only three young ones were finally reared ; the third being an

oversight on “ X’s 55 part as well as our own, as an egg thought to be

one of those moved from the Bourke’s was put under a Nyasa Love¬

bird, who hatched and reared—a Splendid ! And a very nice one, too.


Meanwhile, the old hen had laid again, starting to sit about the

21st July, and this time nothing went wrong with the cock, and a nice

nestful of young ones was hatched about the 9th August. All appeared

to go well for several days, when that ominous charnel-house smell

began to be discernible in the vicinity of the log. On investigation,

all but two of the young ones were found to have died at various ages.

But the last two survivors were fully reared, leaving the nest on

27th August and 2nd September, respectively, and they are now flying

about with their parents.


The death of the others seems to have been due to two causes,

namely the rather cold nights when the young ones were first hatched,

and the fact that the cock is a lazy feeder when he has nestlings to

provide for.


We found that the hen had laid four more eggs before the young

ones left the nest, and these were removed and put under foster parents

•and the first of them has just hatched to-day, 17th September.


So far, therefore, the net result has been five young Splendids, three

under foster parents and two reared by the parents themselves, and

now a further brood just hatching under foster parents.


Incidentally, young cock Splendids are almost exactly like their

mother, with no sign of the brilliant dark blue mask or red patch on

the upper breast, which they will later possess, but showing, curiously

enough, her distinctive yellowish orange patch—only rather duller—•

on the lower breast. Young hens are similar, but the yellowish orange

area is replaced by greenish yellow.


For the benefit of the vast number of people who can never have

seen a living Splendid, the following short description of the cock is

taken from Lord Tavistock’s Parrots and Parrot-like Birds.


“ Green. Face dark, brilliant blue ; remainder of head torquoise



