624 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Jfeaf. — Within a hole in a tree, usually near a watercourse. 

 Occasionally several pairs of birds breed in the same tree. 



Egr/s. — Clutch, four to five ; vai-y in shape from round oval to oval ; 

 texture of shell fine ; siu'faee exceedingly glossy ; coloiu', pure white. 

 Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch : (1) !■! x "9, (2) 1-09 x -O, 

 (3) 1-05 X -88, (4) 1-04 X -92; of odd examples, round oval; Mx'92: 

 oval; 1-14 X -85. 



Ohservafiotif!. — For its elegant shape, quiet and beautiful colouring — 

 chiefly jest.hetic greens, — in addition to being difficult to obtain, this 

 Parrot is deemed a rare bird. It is a denizen of the far interior and 

 North-west deserts. On account of the rose-pink patch on its chin and 

 throat it should have been called the Rose-throated Parrakeet. 



This lovely species, described and dedicated by Gould to the Princess 

 of Wales, wa.s first discovered by the Stuart Exploi'ation Party, 1862, 

 when Mr. F. C. Waterhouse shot three birds at Howell's Ponds, at the 

 edge of the Stuart Plains, Northern Territoi-y. 



Nothing was heard regarding the bird till a communication from 

 Mr. S3'monds Clark appeared in the " South Australian Register," 23rd 

 August, 1890, which was aftei-wards reprinted in " The Victorian 

 Naturalist," mentioning that Mr. T. C. Margarey had brought a pair 

 of live Alexandra PaiTakoots to Adelaide. Tlie birds were taken the 

 previous season from a nest at Crown Point, above Charlotte Waters. 



The Alexandra Parrakeet was brought prominently under notice 

 again in 1891, when Governor the Earl of Kintoi'e and party crossed 

 Australia by the transcontinental route. Out of a small flock three 

 were shot by Dr. E. C. Stirhng, near Newcastle Waters. 



Subsequently a fine series of these birds was procured by 

 Mr. G. A. Keartland, the ornithologist of the Honi Scientific Expedition, 

 at the McDonnell Ranges, 1894. The season immediately following 

 many yoimg birds were collected in the interior and forwarded to various 

 members of the party, one being exhibited at the annual show of the 

 Victorian Poultry and Kennel Club, August, 1895, by Mr. Keartland. 

 who also received eggs, and to whom I am indebted for an example. He 

 informs me the majority of eggs he received were taken during or about 

 September. Mr. A. Zeitz, Assistant Curator of the Adelaide Museum, 

 was successful in getting the Alexandra PaiTak(>ets to brei>d in captivity. 

 The female alone rears the young. 



During the examination of an excellent series of skins of Alexandra 

 PaiTakeets, obtained by the Horn Expedition, Mr. North discovered that 

 the end of the third primary of either wing of the adult male was, 

 curiously enough, spatula-shaped. Most ornithologists will agree that 

 Mr. North has over estimated the importance of this peculiar difference 

 (only specific at most) by creating the new genus. Sjmfliii/itmix, for the 

 lovely bird. One might as well diaiige the generic name of the Meiiitrn 

 (ifhcrti because the two large lyre-.shaped feathei's of the tail, so con- 

 spicuous in the males of the other species, are absent. 



Diunng the Calvert Expedition (1896). the habitat of this desert 

 beauty wa.s found to extend to West and North-west parts of the 



