Sydney Porter—Notes on the Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets 309


understood, was the second time the birds had laid, the first time laying

eight eggs which proved infertile. I left before the result of the second

clutch was known. The birds were in rather cramped quarters and

it was hardly to be wondered at that the eggs were infertile. The owner

said he was going to re-wire a large aviary, occupied by Peafowl, with

small mesh wire, so that the Parrakeets could be turned into it and

thus have a better chance of breeding. It is to be hoped that this is

done, for a brood of these rare birds would be a great acquisition from

an aviculturist’s point of view.


Though similar to the better known Red-fronted Parrakeet this

bird differs in several points. It is larger, the wings and tail are a

much brighter blue and the cheeks are a bright emerald green, also they

struck me as being a different shape ; for one thing the head appeared

to be smaller and the neck much thicker. The red spot on the back

is larger than in the Red-fronted, the hen can also be more easily told

from the cock by her differently shaped head.


The owner of the birds, who, as previously mentioned had been to

the Kermadecs, told me that the Parrakeets were very plentiful on

the smaller islands but were very rare on Sunday Island—the one

where the sheep farm had been. They nested in crevices in the ground

and fed mainly on grass seed.


The birds referred to were in very fine condition, being fed mainly

on natural food with little seed, the hen of the pair was not the original

one, she having died of egg binding after laying twenty eggs.


A pair of these birds were imported into this country a few years

ago, having been presented to the late Governor who, when

he retired, brought them back to Great Britain, and for all I know

they may still be here.


If this chapter happens to meet with the eye of the owner of the

birds in New Zealand perhaps he will be good enough to send us a little

more information about them, which I am sure would be very welcome,

as so little seems to be known of these exceedingly rare birds.


There is only one skin of this bird in the British Museum and that

was obtained from Raoul Island.


(To he continued)



