CSBPHOTUS. 



143 



is, too, in some specimens a shade of verditer-yreen on the inner lesser wini^-coverts. In common 

 with I'iepliotns lueniatorrhoiis also, some of the featiierson the crown ot the head of other examples 

 are indistinctly tipped with dull chestnut-red. 



Picphiitns xanthorvhons is widely distributed. Gould records that Captain Sturt observed it 

 in abundance at the Depot whicli is on Evelyn Creek, about eight miles oil the main road, 

 midway between Milparinka and Tibooburra, in North-western New South Wales ; the late Mr. 

 K. H. Bennett obtained many specimens, in accompany with Mr. W. Adams, on the Lachlan 

 Kiver, in June, July and August, iSS-'i, and the former found it breeding freely during many 

 years residence on Yandembah Station. In South-western New South Wales Dr. \\\ Macgillivray 

 has found it breeding in the neighbourhood of Broken Hill; it is plentiful in the Kiverina 

 District, and there are specimens in the Australian Museum Collection obtained on the Murray 

 Kiver. It also occurs in Northern and Western Victoria, where it appears the more typical 

 birds are found, that is with the larger and purer yellowish-olive wing patch, this colour also 

 e.xtending to the larger upper tail-coverts. It is numerous in some parts of South Australia. 

 During a trip taken by Dr. .V. M. Morgan from Port Augusta, one hundred miles to the north- 

 west, to Mount Gunson, he found it where there were trees the commonest Parrakeet north of 

 Port Augusta. A nest was found on the 30th July, 1900, in a hollow of a Myall, which the 

 feinale was reluctant to leave, containing three fresh eggs, and another egg was taken from this 

 nesting-place the following day. Two more nests were found in hollow Gums on Vultacowie 

 Creek, one with five eggs just hatching, the other with live young birds. On the 12th August, 

 at Mount Gunson, another nesting-place was found containing two young birds and one i-gg just 

 hatching. 



The late i\Ir. K. H. Bennett, of Yandembah Station, wrote : — '• Piiphotiis .vanthorrhous is a 

 rather common species, being met with wherever there is timber, although it passes the greater 

 part of its time on the ground, over which, by a series of hops, it passes with extraordinary 

 celerity. Usually it is n^.et with in pairs, or in small flocks of five or six in number. Its 

 food consists chiefly of various seeds, to which is added the nectar from the blossoms of 

 several kinds of trees, but not those of any species of Eucalypt. The breeding season is during 

 the months of September and October, and the eggs, four or five in number, are deposited in the 

 hollow trunks or branches of trees." 



From Broken Hill, in South-western New South Wales, Dr. W. Macgillivray has sent me 

 the following notes ; — " Psephotus Aaiitlwrrhons is found sparingly throughout the district, during 

 the breeding season in pairs and afterwards in families; they ne\-er flock like the Red-rumped 

 Parrakeet of southern parts, 'i'hey are early breeders, nests being found as early as July. 

 .Although in a wild state they seem very shy, Mrs. Brougham started feeding a pair that used to 

 come about her garden at Poolamacca Station some years ago; they soon became quite 

 accustomed to her, and were joined by some Barnard Parrakeets. In the spring of 1906 

 the " Blue-bonnets" disappeared for about two months, and then reappeared one morning at 

 the accustomed time with a brood of young ones; these were at first very shy, but soon learned 

 to come on to the verandah with the rest for their regular meal. These birds seldom nest in 

 the Gums growing along the main creeks, but prefer a hollow in a lilack (Jak (Casuarina) on 

 some small tributary watercourse, or in the Box trees which grow on flats in the scrub country. 

 Their nests are often placed at a great depth from the entrance, as much as twelve to fourteen 

 feet being noted. The nests of Psiphotus xauthorrhous are usually found in scrub country in Box 

 trees on the flats, in Casuarina (Belar) trees on the Pine ridges which traverse the scrub or 

 which border the smaller creeks. In the spring of 1909 we found them breeding more freely 

 than previously. The nests are usually low down, from three to fifteen feet from the ground; 

 a deep hollow is usually chosen. Most of those we came across contained young birds, the eggs 

 having been laid during August, mostly about the middle of that month. .\t Langawirra Station, 



