16 CniSHOLM. The "Lost" Paradise Parrot. Tisffur 



veteran, who states: "I did not regard PsepJiotns pulcherrimus 

 as a rare bird in the Brisbane district, though it was very local. 

 Between Kehin Grove and Bowen Bridge, on some open forest 

 country, I frequently saw the birds, usually in pairs, but some- 

 times in little parties of perha[)s half a dozen. I saw some trap- 

 pers out there one year, and after that the birds seemed to have 

 entirely disa|)peared from the locality." These are only soli- 

 tary instances. Many more might be gathered readily enough. 

 Moreover, it was noX sufficient for the trappers to sui)i)ly Aus- 

 tralian aviaries and cages with I'aradise Parrots; the beautiful 

 birds, as we have seen, were shipped away indiscriminately to 

 I>ritain, the Continent, and ])ossibly other countries. 



Having in mind, therefore, the effect of trapping, the burning 

 of grass, and the ravages of domestic cats gone wild, it seems 

 moderately clear that the "most beavitiful Parrot that exists" 

 has been brought to the \ery verge of extinction by human 

 agency, following upon Nature's indiscretion in bestowing upon 

 it the fatal gift of beauty without adequate means of defence or 

 protection. Tt is all very lamentable. It is more; it is a national 

 traged}-. I'oth the citizens and governing authorities of Queens- 

 land ha\e neglected a definite duty — a duty to helpless beauty — 

 in allowing these ])retty birds to be sacrificed. Whether it is 

 too late to make amends cannot well be said ; but the authorities 

 .showed the right spirit, while these incpiiries were progressing, 

 in extending full protection to the "lost" species and all other 

 members of the genus Psephotus and the kindred genus Euphcma. 



ARI-: OUR PARROTS FAILING? 



iMnally, lei u> look for a few moments at the position of Aus- 

 tralian I'arrots generally. Mathews expresses the \iew {Birds 

 of Australia, 1917) that these birds "have shown signs of ex- 

 tinction in a very rapid manner." I agree with him. It seems to me 

 that the Parrots of the mountains, the King and Crimson species, 

 for instance, are holding out fairly well. So also are several of 

 the liroad-tailed Rosellas. Among the Grass-Parrots the little 

 I'udgerigah (Mclopsittacus itndulattis) and the Red-rumi>ed 

 i'arrot {Psephotus hccmatouotus) are still fairly common. .Vside 

 from these two latter si)ecies, however, there is not one of the 

 Grass or Ground Parrots that has not "slipped" very seriously. 

 Where now is the Night Parrot? How rarely the Green Ground 

 Parrot is rei)orted ! What has become of the regal Enphema 

 splendida, the Scarlet-chested Grass-Parrot? (Once a plentiful 

 .species, only one company has been recorded in recent years, and 

 that a small lot in South .\ustralia. ) 



And what of that Paradise Parrot in miniature. E. pulcliella, 

 the Tur(|uoisine or Chestnut-shouldered Parrot? The late A. J. 

 North, who had a wide circle of correspondents, wrote in 1911 

 that he had for \ears received iiKiuiries from aviculturists con- 



