114 PLATYCEKCIN.E. 



the apical /uil/of t/ie on/er /iriiDaricg, I/ip viedia-ii itcrirs oftlie secondaries narrnir/y edgeij exlernalli/ iiu/h 

 I iff/it blue, /he iaiiennost exferual/y margined and e.elendi'ng aroait.d the tip irith dull crimsou-red ; 

 upper KHiig-coverts bine, darker on, the lesser iving-corerls, and Iiiiciiii/ a, couspicunas patch of black 

 Ji-ath'-rs on the inwr-corer/s . four middle tail-feathers dark blue, the central pair n-asJi'd n:ith green on 

 t/ieir inner /tebs, thr reiaainihr pal'- blue on their apical half, wh Wish at the, tips, dark blue on the basal 

 portidii of their outer tveb, llie inner web dark bromn ; bill horn colour ; legs ami feet blackish-hrmvn : 

 iris dark broirii. Tol'il length in the flesh lo inches, wing 7'3, t'xil S'5, bill 8, tarsus l)'7 . 



Adult fk\i ai.k — ^innjur in jilmnage to the male. 



Dis/rd/u/ii'n — Queensland, New South Wales, \'ictona, South .Vustraiia, Norfolk Island. 



" JTrT^ ENN ANT'S Paiiakeet, or ■' Luwry " as it is more frequently called throu.^'hout the 

 J- eastern and south-eastern portion of the continent, is one of the most widely distributed 



members of the j^'enus occurring throughout South-eastern Queensland, Eastern New South 

 Wales, Victoria and the South-eastern portion of South Australia. It is also found on Norfolk 

 Island, but, as Count SaUadori points out in the " Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum," 

 has been probably introduced there. Canon Tristram described the birds from Norfolk Island 

 as Pliitvii'i'iiis pcnuantii, var. uohhsi, but specimens in the Australian Museum received from Dr. 

 I'. H. Metialte, of Norfolk Island, conlirm Count Salvadori's opinion that it is simdar to 

 the Australian species. I would here point out, however, that the wing and tail measurements 

 given of Pldtncnin clc^aus in the " Catalogue of Birds in the British Museiun," which are alike 

 6-7 inches, are smaller than those of typical New South Wales examples ; the latter average 7-2 to 

 7-3 inches in wing measurement, and S to 8-5 inches in tail measurement. Like the preceding 

 species, the farther north specimens are obtained, so are they smaller in their measurements, 

 except that of the bill. 



There is a great tendency to xanthochroism in specimens obtained in the temperate districts 

 of New South Wales, and to melanism in those procured in the warm and moist tropical scrubs 

 of North-eastern Queensland. Many beautiful examples illustrative of each are in the collection 

 of the .•\ustralian Museum. .\ Pennant Parrakeet presented by Mr. W. E. Seccombe, has the 

 hind-neck, scapulars, back, breast and abdomen rich yellow, wings white with a faint bluish 

 wash on the lesser and median wing-coverts, tail feathers white with tiie central pair indistinctly 

 margined with light scarlet. Another specimen obtained in Victoria has the upper and under 

 parts entirely greenish-yellow, except a frontal cap, and broad tips to the feathers on the fore- 

 neck, lower flanks and under tail-coverts, which are scarlet, cheeks pale blue, quills white, 

 upper wing-coverts like the back, except the outer series of the lesser and median coverts, which 

 are pale blue, central pair of tail-feathers greenish-yellow, washed with light scarlet on their 

 margins, the remainder pale blue. Partial albinism is exhibited in an inmature specimen 

 having the primaries, primary-coverts, some of the outer lesser wing-coverts and the bastard 

 wing white, and two of the median secondaries on one wing white, faintly washed with yellow. 

 There is also a hybrid I'hitvi'i'i'ciis lii-L^ans + P. iximius. 



I found this species extremely common in the heavily timber-clad ranges of South Gippsland, 

 Victoria, and in similar country throughout the coastal districts of New South Wales. It also 

 frequents open forest country, as well as low undergrowth, and passes a portion of its time on the 

 ground in search of seeds of various grasses and small plants, which with small berries constitute 

 its usual food. During March and April, when the young birds of the previous season flock 

 together, they do considerable damage in orchards and grain fields, feasting upon the fruit and 

 grain crops. 



The accompanying figure of a haunt of Pennant's Parrakeet on the Blue Mountains, is 

 reproduced from a photograph taken by meat Leura, in March, 191 1. Not only was it resorted 

 to by this species, but also by the Lyre-bird [Mcnura supo'ha), the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo 



