118 PLATYCERCIN.'E. 



associated in small groups of from six to twenty in number; while near the coast between 

 Holdfast Bay and the Port of Adelaide, the young In green dress were assembled in flocks of 

 hundreds; they are generally on the ground in search of grass seeds, and when so occupied 

 would admit of a near approach; when flushed they merely flew up to the branches of the 

 nearest tree." 



The specimens in the Australian Museum Collection were procured by Mr. George Masters, 

 and the late Mr. Kendal Broadbent. From the preceding species the Adelaide Parrakeet may 

 be distinguished by its very much paler red colour, and by the red feathers of the under parts 

 being narrowly fringed with pale yellow. 



From Tea-tree Gully, South Australia, I'r. W. A. Angove sends me the following notes:— 

 " Platvicrciis adilaidii is common through the ranges, and it has, I think, increased of late years, 

 as I have noticed it nearer Adelaide than formerly. The heavily timbered flats and grass-covered 

 gullies are its habitat. It feeds on the ground, and is fond of peas, to which crop it does some 

 mischief; it also attacks the fruit, though its depredations are not so great as those o{ Glossopsittaciis 

 conciuniis. The young of both sexes are green, and I have noticed a mature hen with a very green 

 mate, but not to my knowledge the opposite. Their breeding months are October and November, 

 and they depart from their favourite feeding grounds and spread in pairs all over the hills and 

 gullies, so that one sees them in all sorts of unaccustomed spots. They build in the hollows and 

 spouts of the Gums, and prefer a hole which has sound wood for its edges. The largest set of 

 eggs I have taken is eight, at Golden Grove, near Adelaide, four to six being about the usual 

 number. I have seen the bird at I\Ianum associated with Platyccriits flavcolui, and took their eggs 

 near Manuni in October ic.)07." 



Dr. A.M. Morgan writes me as follows from Adelaide, South Australia: — " Platyccrcus 

 adelaiciic was formerly common all around Adelaide, but is now rare ; an odd pair may be 

 generally seen in the hills. A httle further north, about Angaston, they are still numerous and 

 very destructive to fruit. They are ruthlessly destroyed by the orchardists, but do not seem to 

 decrease much in numbers. They breed in the hollows of large Gum trees, the eggs being five, 

 six or seven in number, and the main breeding season is in October and November, occasional 

 clutches being found earlier or later. I am forwarding you an extract from Mr. W. Gilbert's 

 letter, of Pensey Vale, ;r P. adclaidcc ; the birds are very numerous in his district. He writes : — 

 ' I have gone through a lot of Adelaide Parrakeets under your direction, and so far found the 

 brilliant birds to be all males. Some of the hens are brighter than others, one in particular 

 had so much colouring that I thought it was a male, but still it was lacking the splendour the 

 cocks display at this time of year." 



On the ibih May, 1909, Dr. Morgan wrote me as follows : — " The birds spoken of by Mr. 

 Gilbert as brilliant are red. I have seen a great many P. adiliiidu, a.nd do not remember to have 

 ever seen one which looked yellow in flight except an albino in the Adelaide iMuseum, or to 

 have seen one at all which was conspicuously yellow. I am myself convinced from what Mr. 

 Gilbert tells me, that the males are the brilliant red birds, and that the females, although they 

 become red with age, do not attain to the brilliancy of the male. Mr. Murray, of Mount 

 Crawford, promised to send me a number, but he tells me there have only been dull coloured 

 ones in his orchard for some time past." 



For the purposes of breeding it selects a hole in a branch, or a hollow spout, usually of a 

 Gum tree, depositing its eggs on the decaying wood or dust found in these cavities. 



The eggs are fi\e to seven in number for a sitting, rounded ovals in form, dull white, the 

 shell being comparatively smooth and with hardly any lustre. On examining the shell with a 

 lens, it will be found to be very finely granulate. A set of five taken by Messrs. A. and W. 

 ^\'hite, on the 15th September, 1894, from a hollow spout in a lofty Gum tree, growing on a hill 



