70 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



in close order along the whole length of the branch, until 

 hunger prompted them to descend to the feeding-ground, or 

 the approach of a hawk caused them to disperse. Their 

 movements on the ground are characterized by much grace 

 and activity, and although assembled in one great mass run- 

 ning over the ground like Plovers, they are generally mated 

 in pairs, — a fact easily ascertained by the difference in the 

 colouring of the sexes ; the rich red mark on the rump of the 

 male appearing, as the bright sun shines upon it, like a spot 

 of fire. 



This bird has a pleasing whistling note, almost approach- 

 ing to a song, which is poured forth both while perching on 

 the branches of the trees and while flying over the plains. The 

 eggs, which are white and five or six in number, eleven lines 

 long by eight and a half lines broad, are deposited without any 

 nest in the spouts and hollows of the gum-trees. 



Crown of the head, back of the neck, cheeks and chest eme- 

 rald-green, which is lightest on the forehead and cheeks ; back 

 brownish green ; rump scarlet ; tip and under surface of the 

 shoulder, spurious wing, and the outer edge of the basal half 

 of the primaries rich ultramarine blue ; the blue of the shoulder 

 above passing into sulphur-yellow, and forming a conspicuous 

 spot of the latter colour in the centre of the shoulder ; greater 

 and lesser wing-coverts and secondaries bluish green ; upper 

 tail-coverts and two centre tail-feathers green, passing into 

 blue towards the tip, which is blackish brown ; the remainder 

 of the tail-feathers green at the base gradually passing into 

 delicate greyish white on the inner webs and the tips ; 

 centre of the abdomen yellow ; thighs dull bluish green ; 

 under tail-coverts greyish white ; bill horn-colour ; feet 

 brown ; irides pale brown. 



The young male of the year differs from the adult in having 

 those parts delicate greenish grey which in the latter are 

 emerald-green ; in being destitute of the red colouring of the 

 rump, and of the yellow on the centre of the abdomen ; and 



