856 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



green ; the two middle tail feathers arc blue, the rest green. It is one of the most 

 abundant species in Australia, and has been exported in large numbers to Englanil 

 an<l America. Its natural voice inste.id of being a harsh screech is soft and musical, 

 and the bird makes a pretty pet, frequently breeding in confinement. 



The crested ground-jiarakeet ( Callipsittacus novw-hollandiw) is mottled with 

 brown, gray, and white, with a little yellow and red u](on the head. Like the preced- 

 ing it is a gregarious species, migrating to the north in February and March and 





Pio. 161. — Iteloptillaeus undulatiu, zebra gross-parakeet. 



returning to the southern shore of the island continent in Sei)tember. It runs well 

 upon the ground, is far from shy, and is said to be very good for food. 



The genus Ci/anorfuimphns contains fourteen species from South Se.as, all bril- 

 liantlv colored, and some of them noticeable for their extretne southern range, being 

 found on Auckland and M.acquarie Island, aw.ay to the souili of New Zealand. The 

 gr.ass-])arakects of the genus Uitphe/na, seven in number, are bright-colored and occur 

 in Australia and Tasmania. Most of them bear confinement well. 



The genus Platycercus is the largest of the family, embracing, according to Reiche- 



