NESTS AND EOGS Of Ai'Sr/<:AL/AN BIRDS. (jj - 



Ne&t. — A hole or hollow iu a. tree. 



Eijtja. — Clutch, probably live to seveu, and similar to those of the 

 Yellow-vented PaiTakeet {P. zaiitliurrhuunj. 



Observatiuiu. — Tliis truly beautiful Parrakeet, although plainly 

 tigiu-ed by Gould, with its ciinison-coloiu-ed under tail coverts, has been 

 persistently confounded with the Yellow-vented species or variety, which 

 is the common bii'd, in the southern parts at all events, while the Red- 

 vented bird appeal's to be restricted to the northern portion of New- 

 South Wales and Southern Queensland. No doubt the naciual economy 

 of both birds is very similar. 



Gould obtained his specuuens of the Red-vented Parrakeet on the 

 Lower Namoi River, Christmas, 1839. He failed, however, to glean 

 any infonnation respecting its nidiiication, particulars of which are still 

 wanting. 



515. — PsEPHOTUS puLCHEREiMus, Gould. — (429) 

 BEAUTIFUL PARRAKEET. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 34. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 564. 



Previou, Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 {1885); North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 261 (1889). 



Geographical Ditribution. — Queensland and New South Wales. 



Seat. — Usually a hole drilled into an ants (Ti-rmitesJ hillock, but 

 occasionally a hole of a tree, in open forest country. (See illustration.) 



Eyys. — Clutch, four to live ; round oval in shape ; textiu-e of shell 

 fine ; suiface shghtly glossy ; colour, pure white. Dimensions iu inches 

 of a proper clutch : (1) -84 x -7, (2) -84 x -67, (3) -81 x -69, 

 (4) •79x-68; of odd examples; (1) -94 x -76, (2) -85 x "69. 



Observations. — One is apt to become a httle effusive when des- 

 cribing the glorious colours of Parrots. Gould says, " Tlie graceful 

 form of this Parrakeet, combined with the extreme brilliancy of its 

 plumage, renders it one of the most lovely of the Psittacidce yet 

 discovered ; and in whatever light we regard it, whether as a beautiful 

 ornament to oiu' cabinets or a desirable addition to our aviaries, it is 

 still an object of no ordinary interest." 



It has a somewhat limited range, being confined to the interior 

 portions of Queensland and adjacent parts in New South Wales. 



The eggs and the fii'st information of the interesting fact that the 

 birds lay in ant-hillocks, I received from the late Mr. George 

 Barnard, Coomooboolaroo (Queensland), where the birds breed. 

 Unfortunately, during my visit to that part of the country, a drought 



