A-£STS AND iiCGS OF AUSTRAL/ A A' BIRDS. 629 



of Mr. Jas. Kershaw. The last-mculioucd arc those described above. 

 As I remarked at the time, the eggs 1 lirsl described fioiu the Queensland 

 Museum were rather small. I have siuee learut they were referable 

 to another Parrot, possibly the Red-winged. I am not the only one who 

 erred in this respect, for Gould, to put ib mildly as he could, " looked 

 with suspicion," on the aecoimt of the breeding of the King Parrot given 

 by Mr. Caley* iu the " LinncAU Transiictions." Gould's specimen must 

 have reference to that of some other bkd. 



Of coui-se it is well known that the male bird of this splcucUd Parrot 

 does not attain its full and glorious garb luitil the tnird year. 



Young ones, ou more than one occasion, have been taken from within 

 the butts of great hollow trees in the Otway Forest. 



ine eggs in Mr. Kershaw's collection were taken at Childers, South 

 Gippsland, 5th October, 1895. 



Sub-family — PlatycercinjE : Parrakeets. 



494. — Platycercus elegans, Gmehn.--(415) 

 F. pennantii, Latham. 



CRIMSON (PENNANT) PARRAKEET. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vul. v., pi. 23. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 541. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Australia (1848), 

 alsa Handbook, vol. li., p. 45 (1865); North: Austn. Mus. 

 Cat., p. 257, pi. 14, fig. 6 {1889). 



Gtugraphical Distribution . — South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 'Victoria and South Australia. 



Neat. — Within a hollow hmb or trunk of a tall tree, usually in thick 

 forest. 



E(j(j!f. — Clutch, five to eight ; elliptical in shape ; texture of shell 

 comparatively fine; surface glossy; colour, pxure white, but sometimes 

 yellowish in tone from the dust of the nest. Dimensions in inches of a 

 full clutch: (1) 1-15 X -9, (2) 1-14 X -88, (3) M3 x -89, (4) 1-12 x -9, 

 (:j) M2 X -9, (6) Ml x -88, (7) 1-1 x -89 ; of three ex a clutch of eight by 

 fuU-plumaged parents: (1) l-18x'92, (2) M7 x -92, (3) M5 x -93. 



Obsermtions. — The Pennant PaiTakect in full plumage is one of the 

 most glorious birds of the bush. When a flock is seen passing through 



• Caley was sent to Australia by Sir Joseph Banks to collect plants , but any 

 birds or animals he collected he was permitted to retain. These— many of which 

 became types — he sold to the Linnean Society. 



