THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 5 
Whilst looking at the birds, suddenly a familiar cack- 
ling laugh was heard, causing the visitor to remark, ‘‘'That 
sounds like home,’’ and a family of three ‘‘Jackies’’ was 
seen perched in a row. The baby kookaburra was reared 
in the aviary, and Mrs. Roberts stated that it remained 
five weeks and three days in the nest after she knew that 
it was hatched; on the day that it made its ‘‘debut’’ from 
the nest there was great jubilation on the part of the 
parent birds, who continued to feed it for some consider- 
able time. Mrs. Roberts has also bred in her aviaries a 
number of Wonga pigeons, pheasants, Mandarin and other 
ducks, doves of various kinds, finches (including the rather 
delicate Gouldian), Californian quail, budgerigahs, and 
others. Recently her pair of brush turkeys built a fine 
mound, and she hoped to rear some of these interesting 
birds, but unfortunately the hen died through being egg- 
bound. { ; 
The parrot aviaries contain many birds of varied and 
brilliant plumage. Here can be seen the New Zealand 
kea—the bird that is over-fond of mutton and likes it 
alive, and its formidable-looking beak would make one be- 
lieve all that is said of the kea’s evil propensities; but this 
particular bird is very gentle and tractable in captivity, 
and is, in fact, rather a pet with Mrs. Roberts, on account 
of its many amusing little ways. She has had it for eight 
years, so presumably it is now cured of its penchant for 
mutton-fat. Other birds of the parrot tribe in the col- 
lection are :— 
African Grey Parrot. 
Crimson-winged Parrot. 
Port Lincoln Parrot. 
King Parrot. 
Ring-necked Parrot. 
Barrabands. 
Red-rumped Parrots. 
Golden-green Parrots. 
Galahs. 
Whistling Grass Parrakeets. 
French Parrakeets. 
Pennant’s Parrakeets. 
Moreton Bay Rosellas. 
Adelaide Rosellas. 
Swift Lorrikeet (now becoming rare in Tasmania) 
Leadbeater’s Cockatoo. 
