Psittacus torquatus, Bdd.

Ring-necked Parrakeet, Rose-ringed Parrakeet (Ger., Halsband-Edelsittich, Kleiner Alexandersittich, Alexanderpapagei, Hals-bandsittich; Fr., Perruche d collier rose, Perruche Alexandre a collier de l'Inde, Perruche Alexandre d collier da Senegal; Dut., Kleene Alexanderparkiet of Halsband Edelparkiet) - Familiar to the Ancients - Its Beauty - Talent for Speech - Description - Habitat - Selection in Purchase.

Wherever in ancient literature a parrot may be spoken of, this is always the species meant. Writers, from Pliny down to Aldrovandi and Gessner, give descriptions and drawings of it. Many errors concerning it have, however, crept in. It was said, among other things, to be a native of America, and was described as consisting of many varieties. We have records of its importation to Europe in the time of Alexander the Great. Buffon, Bechstein, and others, have written of its habits in captivity.

Thus, from ancient times even to our own day, it has been admired and esteemed, not only for its capacity for speech, but also for its beauty. More recently, as a cage bird, we have discovered a special attraction in it, namely, its capacity for breeding. For this reason its natural development has been more closely observed than had ever been done before, notwithstanding the wide range of its habitat, its frequent appearance among us, and its familiarity as one of the best and most anciently known birds.

The adult male of the King-necked Alexandrine Parrakeet is grass-green on the forehead, crown, and sides of the head; the narrow lores black; the back of the neck and head is a delicate mauve; round the hinder part of the neck there is a broad rose-coloured band, and on the throat a light yellow band; the spot on the chin is black, and from it, along the sides of the head, runs a black stripe which grows narrower towards the back of the head; the back is a yellowish olive-green; the hinder part of the back, and the upper coverts of the tail, grass-green; the quills dark grass-green, the outer webs having a narrow light yellow edge, the reverse side ashen-grey; the two central feathers of the tail bluish-green; the remainder yellowish-green, the inner web dull yellow, all on the reverse side dull yellow; all the rest of the under part of the body yellowish-green; the beak blood-red (or the upper mandible red, the under mandible black; or the upper one a blackish purple-red, the under one black); the eyes light yellow, surrounded by a featherless red cere; feet blackish-grey, with black claws. In the adult female : The crown and sides of the head are green, much darker than in the male, with a slightly noticeable yellowish shade; only a narrow grey band on the neck (the rose-coloured band on the neck, and the black spot on the chin, are absent); all the upper part of the body is a faint, dull olive-green, not so bright as in the male; the hinder part of the back is a dull light green; the upper mandible red; the under mandible blackish-grey; eyes light yellow. The young male resembles the old female, but is a paler green; it has neither the neck band nor the chin spot, and only gets these in the second year. It is about the size of a small domestic pigeon (length, 14 1/8in. to 15 3/8in.; wings, 4 3/4in. to 6 7/8in.; the longest feathers of the tail, 4 7/8in. to 10in.; the outer feathers of the tail, 2in. to 3 1/8in.).

It is a native of Asia and Africa; in the former continent it extends from Bengal to Nepal, Cashmere, Tenasserim, and Upper Pegu, as well as over Ceylon; in the latter, from Senegal to Abyssinia, to 16deg. north and 7deg. south, it is found to an elevation of 11,000ft. In South Africa it has colonised itself, having been introduced either purposely or by chance. The dealers distinguish between the birds from the different continents; the adult full-plumaged birds from Asia having red, and those from Africa black, beaks.

There can scarcely be any other parrot so frequently stolen from the nest, and reared by hand, as this; and, therefore, it not only comes into the market very numerously, but most of the King-necked Parrakeets are already tame enough to perch on the finger. This is especially the case with the Indian birds, for most of those sent from Senegal or Ceylon are caught in nets in great numbers when old.

The Ring-necked Parrakeet is, indeed, of great value as a cage bird, for whether taken from the nest when young, or caught when old, it soon becomes very tame, in the first case surprisingly soon. In some cases it learns at once to speak well. There is a case on record where a parrakeet of this species acquired a hundred words, and, indeed, whole speeches; more over, it learnt to pronounce several languages, English, German, and French, clearly and distinctly, and at the same time exhibited extraordinary cleverness and intelligence. The disagreeable qualities of the Noble Parrakeets, mentioned on p. 199, are, however, always found, even in the most accomplished speakers. On the other hand, an advantage possessed by these birds is their great hardihood, for they have been successfully kept in the open air throughout the winter.

Mr. Photograh Otto Wigand, of Zeitz, was the first to breed the Ring-necked Alexandrine Parrakeet, and to describe the plumage of the young birds and its change of colour. By the observation thus afforded all previously disputed points were fully cleared up.

Whoever wishes to buy a Ring-necked Parrakeet should choose, if possible, a young and uniformly green bird; it is immaterial whether it may afterwards develop the colours of an adult male or female. An old, wild bird, which screams at every approach, should be avoided. The food mentioned on p. 199 should be given. With regard to taming and training, attention should be paid to the remarks on p. 34, et seq.