PLArY(;KKCL'S, 129 



In South -fastern Australia this species is frequently seen in captivity. If obtained young 

 it soon learns to whistle and clearly enunciate short sentences. Among many bird pets I 

 had a Rose-liill Parrakeet for many years. It was very affectionate, and quickly recognised 

 my voice on hearing it, could talk and whistle well, and could imitate to perfection the notes of the 

 Kufous-tailed lironze Cuckoo ( Liiiiipn'Ci'ti'vx Innalis). (Jne day it escaped, and was lost for tliree 

 days, but eventually 1 located it in a nei^'hbour's garden, from its plaintive imitation of the 

 Cuckoo's note. It was in a large geranium, and was glad to jump on to my hand and be 

 restored to its cage and food. 



l\Ir. E. H. Lane writes me: — " Sets of eif^'s of I'liitvLdriis tw-iuilin vary from five to nine in 

 number. The latter number was taken by my son Leslie on the iStli November, 1905, at 

 Orange, Xew South Wales." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland, of Melbourne, writes me as follows :—" /^/ir/riv/VHs i-\iiiiiu^ in the 

 southern portions of Australia and Tasmania is certainly the handsomest and best known Parrakeet. 

 In \ictoria these birds are to be seen or heard in cages in aliriost every street, as they are 

 so easily procured, and are general favourites. Tlieyare most numerous in agricultural districts, 

 where they thris'e on the grain found in stubble fields or the seeds of thistles. They usually 

 breed in holes in trees, but I found six youmj; ones in a hollow stump not four feet high." 



From Glenorchy, Tasmania, Mr. M. Harrison writes me : — "The 'Rosella' Parrakeet 

 ( Platwcrcui cxininis j is common throughout Tasmania where the country is fairly open and grassy, 

 but fre(iuently draws an abrupt line beyond which, l(jr some reason, it is never seen. Gould 

 observed this, and states that he never saw it south of the Derwent, but it is now, and has been 

 as long as I can remember, plentiful on both banks aliout Austin's Ferry, and I have never 

 seen any between that place and Hobart, although plentiful on the opposite side of the river. 

 At Austin's Ferry it still breeds in fair numbers, although the Starling is tjradually taking 

 possession of every nesting-place, to the exclusion of native birds of similar nesting habits. 

 The clutch is generally from six to eisht. (Jn one occasion a friend and myself found no less 

 than four nests of this Parrakeet containing eg;zs, and one of the Tree Martin ( Pctroclu'luicn 

 iii\L;ru'niis), in the same tree, a liucalypt." 



For the purposes of breeding it resorts to a hollow limb, trunk, or stump of a tree, the 

 nestin,L;-place \arying from a few feet to forty or fifty feet from the ground. 



The eggs \ ary from fixe to nine in number for a sitting, and in shape from elliptical to 

 rounded oval, pure white, the shell being fairly close-grained and smooth, some are dull and 

 lustreless, others have a slight gloss. .\ set of six taken by Mr. J. Gabriel, at Myrnioni;, 

 Victoria, on the 12th November, i<S92, measure: — Length (A) 1-03 x 0-92 inches; (B) 1-15 x 

 O'g inches ; (C) roS x 0-87 inches ; (D) i-o8 x o-88 inches; (E) i-o6 x 0-89 inches ; (F) i-oi 



X 0-84 inches. A set of five received from Mr. S. Robinson, and taken at Lewis Ponds, New 

 South Wales, on the 22nd October, 1897, measures: — Length (A) i-oi x 0-9 inches; (B) 1-09 



X 0-88 inches ; (C) i-o8 x o-88 inches; (D) i-oi x 0-89 inches; (E) 1-02 x 0-87 inches. 

 Another set of six taken by Mr. Gabriel from a cleft in a hollow trunk of a Camariua. about 

 eight feet from the ground, at Werribee, Victoria, on the i2tu October, 1901, measure: — Length 

 (A) f04 X 0-82 inches; (B) 1-02 x 0-84 inches ; (C) roi x 0-83 inches; (D) i x 0-83 inches; 

 (E) I X 0-.S7 inches; (F) 1-07 x o-S7 inches. A set of seven recei\-ed from Mr. E. H. Lane 

 on the 19th October, 1900, and taken by Mr. C. Spicer at Lewis Ponds, about twelve miles 

 from Orange, New South Wales, measures :— Length (A) i-oi x 0-91 inches; (B) roi x 0-9 

 inches; (C) 1-03 x 0-9 inches ; (D) 1-03 x o-88 inches ; (E) 1-03 x 0-89 inches; (F) 1-05 x 

 o'S7 inches; (G) fo5 x 0^92 inches. 



In Mr. Chas. French, Junr.'s, collection I saw a set of six eggs of this species that were 

 taken from a deserted nest of Poiitatostoiiius tcmpovalis. 

 3.3 



