310 R. R. Minchin—The South Australian Zoological Society


Heck’s Grass Finch (Poephila hecki). — Three reared.


Crimson Finch ( Neochima phaeton). — Two reared.


Red-faced Weaver ( Quelea erythrops). —One reared.


Red-shouldered Whydah (Urobrachya axillaris). —One reared.


Egyptian Goose (Alopochen wgyptiacus). —Five reared.


Nepal Kalij Pheasant ( Gennseus leucomelus). —Two reared.


It is needless to mention that disappointments were not lacking.

A hen Brown’s Parrakeet whiled away the breeding season by laying

numerous infertile eggs. However, another pair of these birds has

recently been acquired, so we hope for better luck.


A pair of Australian Cat-birds (A. crassirostris) completed a beautiful

nest in a Cupressus when a lone Regent Bower-bird came along and laid

an egg in it and proceeded to attempt to incubate. This apparently

disgusted the rightful owners of the nest for they went near it no more.


I have purposely left the Queen Alexandra’s Parrakeets ( Northipsitta

alexandrse) till the last because it is considered that their doings warrant

description in some detail.


We started the 1936-37 season with two males and two females,

this being the first occasion that we had possessed a true pair of these

rare and beautiful birds. Number 1 pair was composed of a cock hatched

in the wild state during the season of 1933-34, and a wild-caught hen

one year old. Nine eggs w r ere laid, but considering this to be too many

we removed three and placed them under a hen Brown’s Parrakeet,

which hatched two of them but unfortunately they died at an early

age. Of the six eggs left with the Alexandra’s all hatched. One died

when about seven days old, and the rest turned out to be perfect

specimens. The incubation period appears to be twenty-one days, and

the young remain in the log for about thirty-five days. The male of

this pair was a perfect example of what a father should be, and did

equally as much of the feeding of the young as the mother. The log

was removed from the cage after the pair had reared their family, for

it was not thought advisable to permit the hen to lay again.


No. 2 pair were both young birds hatched during the previous year

in the wild state. The first clutch of eggs consisted of five, three of

which were hatched and reared. It became apparent that they desired

to nest again and, as they had not raised a large family, they were allowed



