THE FLAT-TAILED PAREAKEETS. 237 



CHAP. CL— THE FLAT-TAILED PAERAKEETS. 



Platycercus, Vgrs. 



Distinguishing Marks — Natural History — Character in Cap- 

 tivity — Treatment — Capacity for Speech. 



The Platycerci, or Flat-tailed Parrakeets, take a liigh position 

 among tlie more splendidly plumaged parrots. It is only within 

 the past fifteen years that they have been imported into Europe 

 in considerable numbers and numerous species. From the 

 first they mefc with a warm welcome, and they may be seen 

 sometimes in bird houses among the small ornamental and song 

 birds, and at others in couples, in cages, or in companies, in large 

 aviaries. In addition to their beauty and attractiveness, many- 

 offer the advantage of being more or less easily bred ; and at no 

 distant date we may expect that all species will have proved 

 themselves easy to breed. At the same time, the admiration 

 which they excite is attended by many drawbacks — for example, 

 the high price usually asked for them, and also their delicacy 

 of constitution, which often manifests itself in the most puzzling- 

 manner. 



Their special distinguishing marks are as follows : The beak 

 is strong, short, nearly always deeper than it is long, rounded 

 off, and with shallow indentation, with short, usually sharply 

 bent-back point, and very broad socket edge ; the nostrils oblongs 

 situate in a narrow cere, which is set with little hairs in front ;. 

 the lores and eye cere covered with feathers ; the wings pointed 

 and long ; tail broad, sharply graduated, each feather broad 

 and rounded at the point ; the feet of medium strength ; the 

 tongue thick, fleshy, smooth, blunt at the point — in many 

 cases there is a faint depression at the front edige ; plumage 

 soft, in rare cases somewhat hard, without powdery down. 

 Size, varying from that of a thrush to a crow. 



They are distinguished from the other long-tailed parrots and 

 parrakeets chiefly by being livelier and more active (only a 

 few of the larger are clumsy), by being able to run about 

 on the ground more rapidly and skilfully, and by flying mora 

 gracefully, though they do not climb better. In contradis- 

 tinction to the Noble Parrakeets, Oonures, Thick-billed and 

 Small-billed Parrakeets, they prefer to live on the ground, and 

 seek their food chiefly from grass seeds, running quickly along 

 the earth. Their home extends throughout Timor, Booru, 



