128 



PLATYCEKCIN'.*. 



ROSK-IIII.L PAHKAKKET. 



with wild fruit and berries constitute the normal food of this species. Knfortunately the Rose- 

 iiill I'arrakeet is very destructive in orchards, nippin;,' off the blossoms of various kinds of fruit 

 trees in a spirit of pure mischief, and committing great havoc when the cherries, plums, peaches, 

 apricots and other soft summer fruits are ripe. Cultivation paddocks suffer too from the 

 depredations of this species, especially when the maize is just formed in the cobs. 



Its range e.xtends throughout Eastern New South Wales, Victoria, and the south-eastern 

 portions of South Australia and Tasmania. I have previously pointed out* that specimens from 



the latter island may be distin- 

 guished l:iy the conspicuously 

 larger white cheek patch, and 

 may now add also by the richer 

 and darker scarlet head and 

 bi east, the latter of which extends 

 lower do\vn the body than it 

 does in birds Irom the mainland. 

 Should it be necessary to dis- 

 tiii'.;uish this southern race, I 

 would propose tor it the name of 

 I'latViCini-s dicmciiciiiis. 



Individual variation is not 

 uncommon. In the .-\ustralian 

 Museum Reference Collection 

 are specimens which have the feathers of the back and scapulars margined with almost pure 

 yellow, and the feathers on the centre of the lower breast and abdomen washed with scarlet. 

 ()ne of these specimens I obtained at Blacktown in October, 1893, which is only a few miles 

 from Rose-hill, near I'arramatta, New South Wales, from whence this species received its 

 x'ernacular name. There is a beautiful example in the mounted collection obtained by Mr. 

 Henry Young at Foster, New South Wales. It has the hind-neck, rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 sides of the breast, abdomen and flanks rich canary-yellow, scapulars and back white, with 

 canary-yellow mar,t;ins to all the feathers, wings white with a faint bluish wash, tail-feathers 

 white, the central pair tinged with yellow. There are two other somewhat similarly plumaged 

 specimens, but of a more pronounced greenish-yellow shade: one was procured by Mr. James 

 McDonald at Braidwood ; the other is the skin of a young bird taken by Mr. E. Woods from 

 a nesting-place at Littledale, six miles from Cootamundra, and was kept in confinement, from 

 which it escaped, and after two years freedom was eventually shot by the donor. 



An abnormally plumaged mounted specimen of Platyccrcns cxiiiiiiis (the so-called I'latvicrcus 

 if^nitus, Leadbeater) was picked up dead in the X'ictoria Park, Newtown, near the iMiiversity of 

 Sydney. The lengthened upper mandible, the much worn quills and tail-feathers, bear evidence 

 that it was an escaped cage bird. It has the upper and under parts red, scapulars and feathers 

 on the upper portion of the back black with narrow reddish margins, cheeks white, vent and 

 under tail-coverts white, the latter having a faint reddish subterminal cross-bar ; the (]uills and 

 tail-feathers worn, abraded, imperfect, and having a washed-out appearance. 



The Rose-hill Parrakeet is the only species of the genus I'latyccrcus now inhabiting the 

 vicinity of Sydney, being more frequently met with between IMacktown and Penrith, but as 

 during the last few years these districts have been gradually denuded of their timber, these birds 

 are not so freely distributed as they once were, and will eventually be driven away; they are 

 common, however, on parts of the Blue Mountains and the districts beyond. 



* Town and Country Journal, Sydney, nth April, 1S96 



