72 



BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



found in Victoria, that country being in the direct Hne of its 



migration. 



The Blue-banded Grass-Parrakeet is one of the most beau- 

 tiful and interesting of the Psittacida ; for whether perched 

 on the small dead branches of a low bush, or resting upon 

 the stronger grasses, there is grace and elegance in all its 

 actions. It runs over the ground and threads its way among 

 the grasses with the greatest facility, and the little flocks are 

 usually so intent upon gathering the seeds, as to admit of 

 your walking close up to them before they will rise ; the 

 whole will then get up simultaneously, uttering a feeble cry 

 and settling again at a short distance, or flying off to some 

 thickly- foliaged tree, where they sit for a time and again 

 descend to the ground. 



The breeding-season is at its height in October and No- 

 vember ; the eggs are usually deposited in the holes of Euca- 

 lypti, but occasionally in the hollow trunks of fallen trees: 

 they vary from five to seven in number, and are perfectly 

 white. 



The sexes present no observable difference ; but the young, 

 like those of the Flatycerci, have the bill and nostrils of a 

 delicate yellow, and the band on the forehead less conspicuous. 



A conspicuous band of deep indigo-blue across the fore- 

 head, bordered above by a narrow edging of light metallic 

 blue ; lores, and a stripe behind the eye, rich yellow ; crown 

 of the head, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, throat, chest, and 

 flanks brownish olive-green ; shoulders and wing-coverts deep 

 blue ; primaries black, the outer edges of the first three or 

 four slightly tinged with bluish green ; centre of the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts yellow j four middle tail-feathers 

 greenish blue ; the basal portions of the remainder beautiful 

 blue on their outer edges, and largely tipped with fine 

 yellow J irides, bill, and feet brown. 



