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E. J. Boosey



blue, mixed with green at the back of the head. Upper breast green

at the sides with much red and orange-red in the centre ; abdomen

and under-tail coverts, yellow. A considerable amount of very pale

turquoise on the wing. Under wing coverts rich dark blue. Flights

blue with a green tinge to the edge of the outer webs and dusky inner

webs ; outer ones largely yellow. Bill black. Length 8 inches.”


To this description one might add that in our breeding cock quite

two-thirds of the breast is the most brilliant scarlet ; whilst another

cock, presumably adult, has only the more or less round red patch

portrayed in some of the old books.


Written descriptions unfortunately seldom convey the full beauty .

of a bird. To those therefore who find it difficult to form a mental

picture from such descriptions, one can only say that our breeding

cock, when seen sitting in the sun, facing one, on a hummock of

grass, is a picture of quite incomparable brilliance.



THE BREEDING OF THE YELLOW-FRONTED


NEW ZEALAND PARRAKEET


(<Cyanorhamphus auric eps)


By E. J. Boosey


The Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets, of which this is one of the smallest

members, are curious and interesting birds, differing in many respects

from all other Parrakeets. Their voices,for example,are unique,resembling 1

nothing so much as the far-off bleating of a sheep. This, on paper, does

not sound a particularly attractive cry, but as uttered by the bird it is 1

nevertheless quite a pleasant and not unmelodious sound.


A further and striking peculiarity is the way in which all the Parra¬

keets of this genus have the purely gallinaceous habit of scratching

in the ground, like poultry, their long legs seeming particularly adapted

for this purpose, also enabling them to run and jump with extraordinary

rapidity. To watch them, there is something extraordinarily unbird¬

like about their movements, and they always remind me more of some



