• S. Uarvey—Breeding the Splendid or Scarlet-chested Parrakeet 9


three weeks the good pair was put out into one of the breeding aviaries,

after being kept shut in the house for a week so as to settle down and

become accustomed to feeding there, then their door was opened and

they had the use of the flight. The young cock was beginning to

worry me because he did not seem to improve ; while the radiator

was burning he looked fairly well, but as soon as it was turned off

he was very miserable, sitting fluffed up in a corner. A wire-netting

partition in the box separated the hen, because I wished to give

medicine to the cock bird ; netting was used for partition so they could

see each other and thus prevent fretting. For some time Dimol

Syrup was given, but this did not have any effect. Then Mr. Ron.

Minehin suggested trying a mixture consisting of 3 parts Liquor

Amon-aeet., 3 parts tincture of squills, and 2 parts sweet spirit of nitre.

After a few days an improvement was noticed, a fortnight later the

radiator was turned off and still the improvement was maintained.

I do not know how many weeks this bird was nursed, but it was a long

while. This pair of birds was put out into a breeding aviary and has

not looked back, and the hen is now sitting on four eggs. I have men-

tioned this case to show that with care Parrakeets can be completely

cured.


The aviaries in which these Parrakeets are kept measure 17 by 5 feet

overall by 9 feet high, the house is 5 by 5 feet, with 12 ft. flight in

front; the house has doors so that birds can be closed up, glass sashes

can be screwed to doors if necessary.


The first season no attempt was made to breed. A pair was seen

taking an interest in a log on 4th June, 1932 (ten months after being

trapped), and on 6th June were feeding each other. It appeared as

though they were going to commence nesting as the hen was often

seen hanging on to a log and looking into the hole. The cock appeared

to want the hen to nest in a box that was hanging on the other side

of the flight; he was continually flying on to this box and running

along the top ; then he would go to the front and look in the hole,

occasionally going inside, while doing this he would be calling to the

hen. But she was not to be put off the nest that she had decided on,

and on 23rd June was seen entering the log, sometimes she would stay

there for a considerable time. Just when I thought they were really



