INSESSORES. 55 



Sp. 422. PLATYCERCUS EXIMIUS, Viff. and Horsf. 



Rose-hill Parrakeet. 



Psittacus eximius, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pi. 96. 



Pen-uclie omnicolore, Le Vaill., Hist. Nat. des Perr., p. 29, pi. 28. 

 Nonpareil Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 138, No. 41 . 

 Platycercus eximius, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 281. 



ignitus, Leadb. in Proc. of Zool., part v. p. 8, abnormal colouring. 



Psittacus capitatus, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 466. 

 Rose-hill Parrakeet, Colonists of New South Wales. 



Platycercus eximius, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v. pi. 27. 



Although, the Rose-hill Parrakeet is one of the commonest 

 birds of New South Wales and Tasmania, it is very local, a 

 river frequently constituting the boundary of its habitat, over 

 which it so rarely passes, that I never saw the bird on the 

 south side of the Derwent ; while in the forests of the opposite 

 shore, not more than a quarter or half a mile distant, it was 

 very numerous. I believe it is never seen in the forests cloth- 

 ing the borders of D'Entrecasteaux' Channel on the south, 

 or of the River Tamar on the north of- the island, those dis- 

 tricts being inhabited by the Platycercus Jlaviventris, whose 

 greater size and olive-green plumage are in beautiful accor- 

 dance with those vast and but little explored forests of ever- 

 green Eucalypti. The Platycercus eximius resorts to the open 

 parts of the country, undulating grassy hills and plains bor- 

 dered and studded here and there with large trees or belts 

 of low acacias or banksias, among the branches of which, 

 particularly those of the acacias, this beautiful bird may be 

 seen in small companies, the rich scarlet and yellow of their 

 breasts vicing with the lovely blossoms of the trees ; in a word, 

 districts of a sandy nature, small plains, open spots among the 

 hills, and thinly timbered country where grass abounds, con- 

 stitute the peculiar and natural habitat of this bird. Like the 

 Sparrow in England, this beautiful Parrakeet may constantly 

 be seen resorting to the public roads, and upon being dis- 



