376 THE ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET. 



and it was not an unusual circumstance to see hundreds together in the dead branches of the 

 gum-trees in the neighborhood of water, a plentiful supply of which would appear to be essen- 

 tial to its existence ; hence we may reasonably suppose that the interior of the country is not 

 so sterile and inhospitable as is ordinarily imagined, and that it yet may be made available for 

 the uses of man. The Harlequin Bronze-wing and the Warbling Grass Parrakeet are also 

 denizens of that part of the country, and equally unable to exist without water." 



THE genus Platycercus, or Wide-tailed Parrakeets, to which the YELLOW-BELLIED PAR- 

 RAKEET belongs, is a very extensive one, and numbers among its members some of the loveliest 

 of the Parrot tribe. They all glow with the purest azure, gold, carmine, and green, and are 

 almost immediately recognizable by the bold lancet-shaped feathers of the back, and the man- 

 ner in which each feather is defined by its light edging and dark centre. 



The Yellow-bellied Parrakeet inhabits the whole of Van Diemen's Land and the islands 

 of Bass Straits, where it is very plentiful, and often so completely familiar as to cause extreme 

 wonder in the mind of an Englishman who for the first time traverses the roads of this strange 

 land, and finds the Parrakeets taking the place of the sparrows of his native country, quite as 

 familiar and almost as pert, perching on the trees or fences, and regarding him with great 

 indifference. But the novelty soon wears off, and before long his only emotions at the sight 

 of a Parrot are hatred at its thieving propensities, and a great longing to eat it. As to this 

 particular species, its flesh is cultivated for its delicacy and peculiar flavor, and Mr. Gould is 

 so appreciative of its merits, that he waxes quite eloquent when speaking of Parrakeet pie. 



These birds are gregarious, assembling in little companies, probably composed of the 

 parents and their young, and haunting almost every kind of locality ; trees, rocks, grass, 

 fields, or gully, being equally in favor. They are excellent runners, getting over the ground 

 with surprising ease and celerity ; and there are few prettier sights than to behold a flock of 

 these gorgeous birds, decked in all the varied beauty of their feathery garments, scudding 

 over the ground in search of food, their whole movements instinct with vivacity, and assuming 

 those graceful attitudes which are best suited for displaying the beauty of the coloring. 



The food of these birds consists mostly of grass seeds, but they also feed upon the flowers 

 of the gum-trees, upon grubs and different insects. Whenever there is a scarcity of food, the 

 Yellow-bellied Parrakeets betake themselves to human habitations, and crowd around the 

 farm -doors with as much confidence as if they formed part of the regular establishment. There 

 is, however, not very much need for this intrusion into the farm-yard, as its natural food is 

 simple and varied, and the powers of wing are sufficiently great to carry the bird over a large 

 extent of country. The flight of this species is powerful, and is achieved by means of a series 

 of very wide undulations. Yet on some occasions the mendicant Parrakeets may be counted 

 by hundreds, as they press around the barn-door, disputing every chance grain of corn with 

 the poultry, and behaving with perfect self-reliance. 



In captivity, the Yellow-bellied Parrakeet is a hardy bird, and is well adapted for a 

 caged life. 



The nest of this bird is made in the bark of a gum-tree, and the eggs are in color a pure 

 white, and in number average from six to eight. The season for nest-building is from September 

 to January. When the young are hatched, they are covered with a coating of soft white 

 cottony down. 



The coloring of this species is very magnificent. The forehead is rich crimson, and the back 

 is a peculiar mottled green, each feather being of a deep black-green, edged with the same hue, 

 but of a much lighter character. The throat and the middle of the wings are blue, the breast 

 and abdomen are bright golden-yellow, and the under tail-coverts are marked with a few 

 red dashes. The two middle feathers of the tail are green, and the remainder are blue, dark 

 at the base, but becoming lighter towards the tip. The female is similarly colored, but not so 

 brilliantly. 



ANOTHER most beautiful example of this genus is found in the ROSE-HILL PARRAKEKI. 

 jiopularly known to dealers by the name of Rosella Parrot. 



