64- 



^'ESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



called from time immemorial the " Twenty-eight " Parrakeet, for during 

 its undulatory flight through the woods it often calls " twenty-eight, 

 twenty-eight, twenty-eight. " Few sights are more captivating than a 

 family of these magnificent PaiTakeets perched upon a naked bough. 

 Breeding season, end of September and beginning of October to 

 December. 



511. — Barnardius zonarius, Shaw. — (414) 

 YELLOW-BANDED PARRAKEET. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 20. 



Kefcrenfe. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 560. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Victorian Naturalist 

 (18S8), also Proc. Rov. See, Victoria, vol. iii., p. 4 (iRc)o). 



Gcngrnphirnl Distributinn. — Victoria, South, West, and North-west 

 Australia and the Interior, including the Gulf of Carpentaria district. 



Nest. — Within a hole or hollow branch of a tree, the eggs, as in 

 the case of the majoiity of the tribe, being deposited on the di-y, 

 decayed dust at the bottom. 



T^qgs. — Clutch, five or more ; roundish in shape ; texture of shell 

 fine ; surface glossy, with occa,Rionally tiny limy nodules ; colour, pure 

 white. Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch from Westcm Aus- 

 tralia: (1) 1-27 x-%, (2) 1-2 X -94, (3) 1-2 x -9.3, (4) M9x-9, 

 (5) 1-18 X •9.5; of odd examples from Central Australia: (1) l-1.5x-96, 

 (2) 1-1 x-91. 



Ohxervnfions. — Excepting the eastern and northern parts of Aus- 

 tralia, the Yellow-banded, or loc.allv-callcd Port Lincoln, Parrakeet, is 

 found over a great part of Australia, especially the dry, desolate, 

 inland portion from Central to West, and, like its cou.sin. the Yellow- 

 collared, wears a black head, but may be distinguished by its 

 gamboge-yellow waistcoat, hence the name "banded." 



On Boxing Dav, 1889, when shooting with Mr. P. H. Cowan, on 

 the Grecnough River. Champion Bay district. West Australia, we 

 heard the peculiar chattering voices of Panots in light metallic tones. 

 We soon shot specimens, which resembled the Yellow-banded, yet by 

 their lighter colour and smaller size, seemed different. However, on 

 sending an example to the British Museum, Count Salvadori classed 

 it with B. znnnrinft. 



To the goodness of Miss N. Loque, of Ellendale, Champion Bay, 

 T am indebted for sending me a full set nf five eggs, which were taken 

 from a hollow eucalyptus bordering her home river — the Grecnough. 



