INSESSORRS. 45 



South Wales, where it frequents grassy hills and brushes, 

 particularly those of the Liverpool range and all similar 

 districts : it also inhabits Kangaroo Island, but I never met 

 with it in the belts of the Murray, or in any of the forests 

 round Adelaide, in which part of the country the Plati/- 

 cerciis adelaidensis occurs abundantly. Its food consists 

 of berries and the seeds of various grasses, to which insects 

 and caterpillars are occasionally added, and to obtain which it 

 descends to the bases of the hills and to open glades in the 

 forests ; I have often flushed it from such situations ; and 

 when six or eight rose together with outspread tails of beau- 

 tiful pale blue, offering a decided contrast to the rich scarlet 

 livery of the body, I never failed to pause and admire the 

 splendour of their appearance, of which no description can 

 give an adequate idea ; the Flatycerci must, in fact, be seen in 

 their native wilds before their beautiful appearance can be 

 appreciated, or the interesting nature of their habits at all 

 understood. 



Like the other members of the genus, the Flatycercus 

 pennantii runs rapidly over the ground, but its flight is 

 not enduring. In disposition it is tame and destitute of 

 distrust, and as a pet for the aviary or cage few birds can 

 exceed it in interest or beauty ; consequently it is one of the 

 commonest of the living Parrakeets sent from Australia to 

 this country. 



It breeds in the holes of the large gum-trees, generally 

 selecting those on the hill-sides within the brushes ; of which 

 situations, the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range appear 

 to be a favourite. The months of September, October, and 

 November constitute the breeding-season. The eggs, which 

 are white, about an inch and two lines long, eleven and a half 

 lines broad, and from four to seven in number, are deposited 

 on the rotten wood at the bottom of the hole. 



The colouring of the sexes when fully adult is alike, but 

 much variation exists between youth and maturity ; during 



