240 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



adult plumage, and therefore recognisable as young birds, and 

 these are quite as well suited for teaching to speak as home-bred 

 birds. Here, of course, I can only describe those varieties which 

 up to this time have been proved to be speakers. 



CHAP. Cn.— THE ROSE HILL PARRAKEET. 



Psittacu3 eximius, Shw. 



Rosella, Rosella Parrot (Ger., Bimter Plattschweifsittich, Bunt- 

 sittich, Rosella, gemeiner Bimtsittich, Omnikolor, (/rilnburzeliger 

 Plattschweifsittich, ivimderlicherweise Allfarhsittich oder bios 

 Allfarh ; Fr., Perruche omnicolore ; Dut., Groenstuit of Rose 

 Hill of Rosille Parkiet) — Capacity for Speech — Description — 

 Habitat — History in Captivity — Selection. 



One of the most magnificently coloured of all parrots, the well- 

 known Rose Hill Parrakeet, usually called the Rosella, had, till 

 lately, been accounted anything but intelligent, and, in spite of 

 the gorgeous splendour of its plumage, was no great favourite. 

 It has, however, proved to be capable of speech, and on that 

 account it will, without doubt, attain unexpected importance, at 

 least in the eyes of the bird fancier. Discovered by Phillips and 

 White in 1789-90, it was described and scientifically named by 

 Shaw in 1812. Levaillant, in 1805, drew the portrait of a live 

 Rosella which was in the possession of Madame Buonaparte. 



It is scarlet on the forehead, all over the head, and in the 

 region around and below the eye ; on the nape of the neck 

 there is a broad orange band ; the shoulders and upper part of 

 the back black, every feather having a yellowish-green edge ; 

 the rump and upper coverts of the tail are yellowish-green ; 

 the quills blackish-brown, dark blue on the outer webs, and 

 the last of them having a broad light green edge on the 

 outer web ; the upper and under coverts and the edge of the 

 wings purplish-blue ; below the wing a large black spot ; the 

 two central feathers of the tail dark olive-green, the other tail 

 feathers green at the basal half, the outermost feathers of the 

 tail, on either side, greenish-blue, with white tips ; the throat 

 and breast scarlet ; the spot under the chin, beginning at 

 the lower mandible, from the lower part of the head to the 



