64 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTES ON THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE BLUE- 

 BANDED GRASS PARRAKEET. 



Bv Robert Hall. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 8th August, 1898.) 

 The Blue-banded Grass Parrakeet, Neophema venusta, Temm., 

 is perhaps better known under the name of Euphema venusta, 

 but Count Salvador! has seen fit to change the generic name, and 

 being the great authority on the parrot tribe, we find his ruling 

 is generally agreed to. 



This form is a terrestrial-loving one, for I have noted at 

 Laverton, its nearest habitat to the city, that it may be seen 

 between July and the following March running along the thinly- 

 timbered ground, or hanging sturdily to the strong grasses in 

 search of seed, its principal food. My observations have been 

 principally made along the Skeleton Creek, near Point Cook. When 

 upon the ground it is difficult of view, but having risen once, you 

 observe closely the new position and quickly walk to the spot, 

 when four or five will rise again, to settle a little further along the 

 creek. By this time you should have obtained specimens in the 

 three stages you need. The distribution of this species, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Ramsay's tabular list, is, north and south, between 

 New South Wales and Tasmania, and westward to South Aus- 

 tralia. The arrival upon the Werribee Plains is early July, into 

 the Heytesbury Forest fringe about 14th to 21st September, and 

 in Tasmania September. I'he departure north is generally 

 March-April. 



This species seems to be rather local, as, for instance, taking 

 four somewhat adjacent tracts of country, we find that from Box 

 Hill, the centre of a timbered country, it is not recorded, while it 

 visits the Werribee Plains. Again, it is not known in the Otway 

 Forest, according to Mr. Mulder's list, while it is found in the 

 next area, the Heytesbury Forest, even south of Cobden. Possibly 

 it extends from Werribee to Heytesbury, but keeping to the 

 north of Polwarth. 



This broad-tailed parrakeet is one of the seven Australian 

 species of the genus, the key to the seven being that all have the 

 four central tail feathers about equal. Also, according to the 

 " Brit. Mus. Cat.," vol. xx., 1891, we find the key to the species to 

 be : "conspicuous band of indigo blue across foreliead, not reaching 

 behind eyes ; lores and stripe behind eye yellow ; shoulder and 

 wing coverts deep blue ; crown of head, back, rump, upper tail 

 coverts, throat, chest and flanks olive green." The young have a 

 less brilliant plumage; the bar on forehead not distinct, if present ; 

 bill yellowish. The nesting may take place in the hollows of 

 standing or fallen timber. The eggs are white in all cases, five in 

 number, and measure from 1-2 lines less than an inch in length, 



