98 fAI.OF.SlTTACIN^'E. 



e\ oliitions were carried out with such precision, it gave one the impression that eacii bird knew its 

 place and kept a certain distance from its mate. They never rtew very high, sometimes ahiiost 

 sweeping the ground, when they would give one of their graceful side turns, exhibiting their 

 beautitul white shoulders, which were further relieved by the dark green foliage of a belt of pine 

 trees in the near distance." 



P~rom Broken Hill, in South-western New South Wales, Dr. \V. IMacgillivray sends me the 

 following notes : — " Calopsiltacns i!ovir-lio!lniiJi<e is not witli us during the winter, but arrives 

 irreL;ularly in the spring, both as to time and the numbers in which they come. In 1903 and 1904 

 \ery tew put in an appearance. In 1905 they were very numerous, arriving during the last 

 week in September, and during the next two months nests were to be found at short intervals 

 along all the creeks. In i^o'i they arrived very early, being noted during the last week in July. 

 Whereas Barnard's I'arrakeet and the Many-coloured Grass Parrakeet usually choose a nesting 

 hollow they can ]ust squeeze into, the Cockatoo-Parrakeet almost invariably selects one 

 commodious enough to admit a Cockatoo, or even a larger bird. I have found nests at all 

 ele\ations, sometimes as low as two feet fr(jin the ground. The sexes take it in turn to sit on 

 the eggs, differing in this again from the Many-coloured and Barnard's Parrakeet. Five eggs 

 is the usual number, and these are placed on the decayed wood and earthy matter, usually found in 

 upsting hollows. In the Cloncurry District, Northern (Queensland, these birds occur at times in 

 immense numbers, and nest during October and November, sometimes earlier." 



Relative to a trip made by Dr. Macgillivray and Mr. W. McLennan in September, 1909, 

 to the north ot iJroken Hill, the former wrote me: — " (Jn our journey out along the creeks we 

 met the advance guard ot the southern llight of CalnpiUlaiiis iioiuc-lioUandiir early in September ; 

 they became more plentiful as we proceeded north, pairs dropping off all along the route where 

 suitable hollows for breeding purposes were met with. When we got to \\ ynllah Lake, one 

 hundred miles north from Broken Hill, on 19th September, we found them breeding in the dead 

 Box Trees and stumps standing in the water, the eggs being very often in the hollow almost at 

 water level, but of course always dry. At that date there were very few complete sets of five, 

 mostly ones and twos. Galahs were also taking advantage of the protection afforded liy the 

 water to breed in the same situation. Later in September, and early in October, we found C. 

 iwvir-hoUandi<r nests on Sleepswell and Yalcowinna Creeks containing newly hatched young, 

 curious little objects; even at such an eaily age the crest is evident. They are hatched with 

 eyes closed, which open in about four or five days, when some yellow down begins to show itself 

 on the dorsal, femoral, and humeral pteryhe. The parent birds commence to incubate as socjn 

 as the first egg is laid. .V large hollow is nearly always chosen as a nesting-site." 



P'rom Melbourne Mr. G. \. Keartland sends me tne following note: -''.Mthough Cj/c/i/Y/di hs 

 iwnc-hoUandiiT is more numerous in the northern half of \'ictoria, a few come as far south 

 as the neighbourhood of Melbourne. During 1908 they bred at Preston and Croydon. 

 The first place where I saw them, over forty years ago, was near Majorca, in the Mary- 

 borough Distiict, \'ictoria, where they were breeding in the same trees as the Warbling Grass 

 Parrakeets {Mclopsittacus iindidatiis). They are very prolific, frequently laying as many as seven 

 eggs, and I have seen several pairs of old bu'ds with six or seven young ones. They breed 

 readily in capti\ity. I placed a pair in an ordinary packing case, with a wire netting front, with 

 a hollow log containing a handful of sawdust as a nesting-place. They reared three broods in 

 the season, the hen laying soon after the young ones left the nest. They had two broods of five 

 and one of four. The young ones are remarkable for the severity of their bite, even before they 

 can riy, and make nice pets, and soon learn to talk and whistle. They thrive best on wheat, 

 oats and canary seed, but are very fond of thistles." 



From Tea-tree (jully. South Australia, Dr. W. A. Ango\e sent me the following note: — 

 " Calopsiltaciis nova-liollandice is seldom to be seen in the ranges, but at .Modlmry, within eight 



