120 Edward Boosey—The Grass Parrakeets—Some Facts and Fictions


as soon as I enter their aviary, and they are never so happy as when

I bend down, enabling them to chase each other about on my back,

until one of them—usually the hen—ends by triumphantly pushing

the other one off.


A further very fine specimen, lent to us by H.M. the King for

breeding purposes, is at present in a flight cage, but when put out

in an aviary is obviously going to be just as fearless and familiar

as the preceding pair.


Princess of Wales’s need plenty of flying space, and the majority,,

being quite hardy, are capable of passing the winter outdoors without

heat. They are perfectly willing to go to nest, but to successfully

rear a brood calls for somewhat skilful management, the most important

point to remember being that the cock should never be left in the aviary

after his wife has started to sit. She is usually, however, quite capable

of rearing her brood single-handed.



THE GRASS PARRAKEETS—SOME FACTS

AND FICTIONS


By Edward Boosey


Since we are fortunate enough to possess here at Keston at the-

moment pairs of every member of the Grass Parrakeet family with one

exception, namely the Orange-bellied (of which we hope to receive

two pairs within the next few weeks), I thought a few of our experiments

and experiences with them might be of interest, in view of the fact that

up to now the amount of reliable published information gleaned from

practical experience of keeping and breeding this group of Parrakeets

is practically nil.


The reason for this is, of course, that whereas certain members of

the family, particularly the Turquoisine, appear at one time during the

last century to have been considered quite fairly common, even to the

extent of being recommended as suitable birds for the beginner, they

seem to have been allowed to die out completely, in spite of their reputed

prolificy. Even so late as immediately after the War, I did not

for one moment imagine that I should ever see a Bourke’s or a



