HLATVCKHCUS. 



115 



{Calyptiii'livih'Iiits fiiiu'i-i'iis), the I'ilot-bird {lycitoptiliisj/.'tiijsiii), the Kock Warbler (Ofii^ma ruhyuatii), 

 the White-fronted Scrub Wren fSa-iconiis fvontalii), and many other fern-gully frei]uenting 

 species. 



Although as a rule Pennant's Parrakeet resorts to the higher Eucalypti on the mountain 

 ranges, in autumn especially it passes its time in small Hocks on the ground, principally 



consisting of young 

 birds. tJoth on the 

 Strzelecki Ranges in 

 South Gippsland, 

 \'ictoria, and on the 

 Blue Mountains, in 

 New South Wales, 

 have 1 flushed these 

 birds, which were re- 

 markably tame, when 

 walking through the 

 bush. When dis- 

 turbed they would 

 simply lly up on to a 

 fern frond or low tree, 

 and resume feeding 

 ai;ain directly 1 had 

 passed. This species 

 w a s m u c h m ore 

 n u m e r o u s in the 

 Strzelecki Ranges 

 tlian the l!lue Moun- 

 tains, although they 

 are e(|ually plentiful 

 in the coastal ranges 

 of the Illawarra Dis- 

 trict. 



Mr. G. A. Heart- 

 land sends me the 

 following notes from 

 Alelbourne : — " Dense 

 forests, tall timber in 

 hilly country, and 

 rocky gorges are the 

 usual haunts oi Flaty- 

 ccnits degans, where it 

 lives on grass seed, 



but of late years it has become very troublesome to the orchardists near the Dandenong Ranges, 

 where they play havoc amongst the apples, pears and quinces. When fully matured the sexes 

 are alike in plumage, but whilst the male develops his crimson livery before two years old, the 

 female takes much longer. It frequently happens that both may be found breeding whilst in 

 the green plumage of the immature bird, but it is an ordinary occurrence for a crimson male to 

 be found breeding with a green female. They live many years in captivity, but are often 

 quarrelsome with other birds." 



A HAUNT OF FENNANT's PARHAKKRT ON THE IJLUK MOINTAISS. 



