PSITTACID^ PCEOCEPHALUS 225 



Iris reddish-brown ; bill whitish-brown ; legs and feet bluish- 

 grey. 



Length 13-75 ; wing 8-25 ; tail 3-70; culmen 1-65 ; tarsus 0-75. 



The sexes are alike ; the young birds want the red at the bend 

 of the wing and on the thighs. 



Distribution. — Levaillant's Parrot is found only in the southern 

 and eastern portions of the Colony, in Natal, and probably in 

 Mashonaland and Nyasaland, but it appears to be local everywhere. 

 Though stated by Layard to be found in Knysna it has not been 

 noticed there by Victorin or any other collector. 



Tl/e following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — The Zuur- 

 berg in Uitenhage div. (S. A, Mus.), Eland's Post in Stockenstroom 

 (Atmore), Windvogelberg in Cathcart (Boulger), Pirie bush, near 

 King Wilhams Town and Port St. John's (S. A. Mus.) ; Natal— 

 chiefly in the upper districts (Woodward), Umgeni falls near 

 Maritzburg (Gurney), Newcastle (Bt Mus.) ; Ehodesia — Mashona- 

 land (Ayres). 



Habits. — Levaillant, whose name it bears, first accurately 

 described this Parrot ; he gives a long account of it as observed by 

 him in the eastern portion of Cape Colony, stating that its habits 

 are extremely regular. 



In the early morning they are to be found in considerable flocks 

 on certain dead bare trees sunning themselves and drying their 

 damp plumage. From about ten to eleven in the morning they 

 disperse to feed, chiefly on the nuts and seeds of the Geelhout {Podo- 

 carpus) and the Wilde Kersen {Pterocelastrus ?). During the heat 

 of the day they rest in the recesses of the forest. In the afternoon 

 they again feed, and later on resort in large companies to special 

 watering places to bathe and drink ; an evening toilette is performed 

 on the bare dead trees and finally they disperse to roost at night. 

 They nest in holes in trees and lay four round white eggs about as 

 large as those of a domestic pigeon, and both male and female assist 

 in the incubation. 



The best modern account of these birds is that of the Woodwards 

 who state as follows: "These Parrots like the rest of their tribe 

 are gregarious and congregate in large numbers in the upper 

 districts of Natal, seldom visiting the coast. They frequent the 

 highest trees sitting quietly during the day, but as evening draws 

 on they fly out in search of food, making the woods resound with 

 their shrill cries. Owing to their wild nature they are rather 

 difficult to approach and the only specimens we obtained were on 

 the Upper Umzimkulu." 



I'j VOL. III. 



