43 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 413. PLATYCERCUS SEMITORQUATUS. 



Yellow-collared Parrakeet. 



Psittacus semitorquatus, Quoy etGaim. Voy. de I'Astrol. Zool.^ pi. 

 Barnardius semitorquatus, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 153. 

 Doih-arn, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. 

 Dum-ul-uk, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. 

 Twenty-eight Parrakeet, Colonists of Swan River. 



Platycercus semitorquatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. v. 

 pi. 19. 



This noble Parrakeet is abundantly dispersed over the 

 greater portion of Western Australia, where it inhabits almost 

 every variety of situation, sometimes searching for food upon 

 the ground, and at others on the trees ; its chief food being 

 either grass-seeds or the hard-stoned fruits and seeds peculiar 

 to the trees of the country in which it lives. It is equally as 

 abundant at King George's Sound as it is at Swan River ; I 

 have not been so fortunate as to obtain any precise information 

 as to the extent of its range over the continent, the only parts 

 of the country from which I have received specimens being the 

 two localities mentioned above. 



While on the wing its motions are rapid, and it often utters 

 a note, which from its resemblance to those words has pro- 

 cured for it the appellation of " twenty-eight " Parrakeet from 

 the colonists ; the last word or note being sometimes repeated 

 five or six times in succession. 



The Platycercus semitorquatus begins breeding in the latter 

 part of September or beginning of October, and deposits its 

 eggs in a hole in either a gum- or mahogany-tree, on the soft 

 black dust collected at the bottom ; they are from seven to 

 nine in number and of a pure white. In most instances these 

 eggs have a pinky blush before being blown. 



This is the largest species of ground Parrakeet that has yet 

 been discovered in Australia. ,/ 



