F'I,ATVCKH<'U.S. 121 



It breeds m a hole in a branch, usually of a Gutn tree. Nesting-places found on the 

 IMurrumhid^'ee River, New South Wales, were in trees near the river banks, and varied in 

 height from fifteen to hfty feet from the L;round. 



The e,%'s are five in number for a sittini,', rounded-oval in form, dull white, the shell bein,'^ 

 close-,i(rained, smooth, and slii^htly lustrous. .\ set received from Dr. A. M. Mor.^'an, and taken 

 on the 25th (October, 1895, at Wn'rabarra, on the Ivocky River, one hundred and fifty three 

 miles north of Adelaide, and twelve miles from Laura Railway Station, measure as follows: — 

 Length (A) rii x o-Sy inches ; (B) r-i x 0-9 inches; (C) i-ii x o'SS inches: (I)) i-oS x 

 0-S8 inches; (E) 1-12 x o-S- inches. Tliree e':(y;s of a set of four in Mr. (i. A. Keartland's 

 collection, taken by Mr. W. White on the 2iid September, 1^1)3, from a hole in a (jum tree at 

 Canalla Creek, Flinders Rantre, South .Australia, measure: — Len<,fth (.\) ru x 0-^2 inches; 

 (B) i-i X o-SS inches; (C) fo8 x 0-91 inches. .A set of five taken by Mr. Frank .\. Shelley 

 near the Murrumbidgee River, about seven miles from W'a'^'Lja, New South Wales, on the 4th 

 December, igog, measure :—Len,i,nh (A) 1-07 x o',Sg inches; (B) roS x 0-92 inclies; (C) rog 

 X Q-g inches ; (D) i-o8 x o-gi inches; (E) 1-07 < 0-92 inches. 



Young birds differ from the adults in being dull green above with brown centres to nrost of 

 the feathers, rump and upper tail-coverts yellowish-olive, the secondaries and the inner series 

 of the greater wing-coverts are dull yellowish-green ; there is no black patch on the lesser and 

 median wing-coverts, this part being brown with dull yellowish-green margins to the feathers, 

 and the band on the forehead is orange-red. \\'ing 6 inches. 



September and the four following months constitute the usual breeding season of this 

 species. 



Platycercus flaviventris. 



YELLOW-BELLIED I'.i KKAKEET. 



Psi/(ii,-iis tl'irir^-utris, 'iVuim., Trans. Linn. Soc, Vol. XID., pp. 117-118 (1821). 



I'/,ifyc,'rru.tj/arirr,i/ris, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. V., pi. 21 (1S4S) ; ,,/ , Handhk. Bds. Austr , 

 Vol. IL, p. 48(186.3); Salvad., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XX, p. .3-1.") (1891); .Sliarpe, 

 Hand-1. Bds,, Vol. II,, p. 37 (lOOO). 



Adult m.\lk — (rewral colottr abore dnIJ yrfrii ivith hfiiicnisli-hJi(ck M)itiv.!< to tlw feathers, tlie 

 iitiu'r grentcr luiiii/ cittvfti and innermost secondaries similar, but tn'Uli a distinct i/i-UowisJt-grei'n ivash 

 to their outer margins : Imvr back, nunp, awl tipper lail-corirts ihill gremi margin'il irith yflloivish- 

 olive, these margins broader on tin- lalli'r awl partially concealing /heir dull grern bases; (juilU, 

 except the iniienwysl secondaries, dnrh la-orrn on their inn'r tnebs, dark bhie on their oaler n:ebs : the 

 outer and ajiper /,■>■,<,(• a-ing-corerts dark him; the outer meilian and greater coc^rts paler blue, with a 

 patch of black mi the inner lesser and median n-ing corerls : ren'.ral pair «/' laitdealhers broa.-e-green, 

 bin isJi tiarnrds the tips of their oater ivebs ; tite next pair blackisli-hroirn on their inner ivebs, dark 

 bhie on the outer and narrowly edged with u:liite at tlie tips, their oa.ier webs for three-fourths of their 

 length from the base bronze or olive-green ; the remainder dark bl ue on their outer webs, hlaek on their 

 inner, and. having their apical half pale hi w. ; croa-n of the head and sides of tlie face yellow tinged 

 with olive, and having crimson tips to tlie fratliers heloa- tlie eye ; a broad band on tlie forehead 

 crimson; clieeks deep blue; throat and all the under surf ice and nnder tail-coverts yellow, very 

 sliglitly tinged tvith greenish-olive, some of the longer ones margined irith orange ; bill u-hitisli- 

 horn colour, bhiisli at t/ie base : legs and feel yre>jis]i-hrou;n : iris hroivn. Total length in the fiesh 

 lJi.-5 inclies, iving 7'5, tail 7 S, hill O-S, tarsus 0-7S. 



Adult fi5M.\le. — Similar in plumage to the male, hat smaller. Wing 7 inches. 

 Distribution — Tasmania and most of the larger Islands of Bass Strait. 



31 



