226 W. C. Osman Hill—Breeding of the New Guinea Red-sided Parrot



distinct from the first plumage, the males resembling their father and

the females their mother. The young bred in my collection so far are

as follows :—





Date of appearance at nest



Sex





entrance





1



31st August, 1937, 8 a.m. .



Female



2



28th December, 1937, 7 a.m.



Male



3



19th April, 1938, 11 a.m. .



Female



The baby does not leave the nest on first looking out from the entrance

hole. In two cases it was not till the following day, but in the last

case, the baby crept out the same day. The baby goes back to the nest-

box to sleep at night for a night or two, but afterwards roosts on a

perch beside its father or elder brothers and sisters.


Although in general colour the newly fledged young resemble their

parents, according to sex, there are differences, rendering the young

easily distinguishable. In both cases the young is not quite so large

as its parent, though this was more noticeable in the case of the young

male than with the two female babies. The other differences concern

coloration and are different in the two sexes, as follows :—


Female .—The red in the plumage, especially on the neck and breast,

is duller than in the adult. The baby lacks the ring of blue feathers

round the eye. There is less yellowish colour in the tips of the tail

feathers. The beak is patchy, being a dirty yellow with black smudges.

The iris is dark thoughout, thus lacking the hawk-like aspect produced

by the creamy-white iris of the adult female. The beak gradually

blackens to a uniform black tint, but the light iridial ring does not

appear till the bird is about a year old. The same applies to the ring of

blue feathers around the eye.


Male .—Green like the adult, but the hair-like feathers of the head,

neck and breast are duller and coarser in appearance. The red on the

flanks is present and may extend in a patchy manner on to the tips

of some of the breast feathers. In the single male so far produced, this

condition was present in the left side only. The bill is patchy, as in the

young female, but is more black than yellowish, the black areas



