552 A'ESTS A.VD £CGS Of AUSTKALIAN BIRDS. 



523. — Neophema chrysogastra, Latham. — (434) 

 ORANGE-BELLIED GRASS PARRAKEET. 



figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 39. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 573. 



Previous Description of Eggs. — ("ampbell : Southern Sc-ence Record 



Geuyraphical Distribution. — New South Wales, Victoria, South 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



Nest. — Usually within a small hollow spout of a fallen tree or log. 



Eyys. — Clutch, four to six; round in form; textui'e of shell line; 

 surface slightly glossy ; colour, pure white. Dimensions in inches of 

 a pair: (1) -Six 73, {'1) -83 x -75 ; three from a set taken near Ross, 

 Tasmania: (1) -86 x -74, (2) -84 x -7, (3) -82 x -7. 



Observations. — This beautiful species may be readily distinguished 

 from the other Grass Parrakeets by the rich orange colouring of the 

 imder surface — hence the appropriate vernacular name Orange-bellied. 



This bird belongs to the south-eastern provinces of Austraha, 

 including Tasmania, where it is found very abundant on the Actseon 

 Islands at the entrance of D'Entrccasteaux Channel. It was in that 

 grass and scrub-covered locality Gould obsei-ved, " I frequently flushed 

 small flocks from among the gi-ass, when they almost immediately 

 alighted on the barilla bushes aromid me, their sparkling orange bellies 

 forming a striking contrast with the gi'een of the other parts of their 

 plumage and the silvery foliage of the plant upon which they rested." 



Mr. A. E. Brent informs me that tliis bird usually lays late in the 

 season (December), depositing its eggs in a small broken spout of a 

 fallen tree. Gould was induced to believe that the Orange-bellied 

 Parrakeet laid eggs in holes on the gi-omid. 



524. — Neoi'hema petuorhila, Gould. — (435) 

 ROCK PARRAKEET. 



Figure.— Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 40. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 57.1. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — "(-ould : Birds of .\ustralia (1848), 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 76 (1865) ; Campbell : Troc. Roy. 

 Soc, Victoria, vol. iii., new ser., p. 4 (1890) ; North : Rec. 

 .\ustn. Mus., vol. i., p. 115 (iSyi). 



Geographical Distribution. — South and West Australia. 



* No dimensions given. 



