74 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



they spread out and display their beautiful yellow tail-feathers 

 to the greatest advantage. 



Gilbert informed me that, in Western Austra,lia, "the elegant 

 Grass-Parrakeet inhabits every variety of situation, but parti- 

 cularly wdiere there is an abundance of grass, the seeds of 

 which are its favourite food : it may be generally observed in 

 small families, but at Kojenup, where there are several pools, 

 and no other water for many miles round, I saw these birds in 

 myriads ; but although I shot a great many, they were nearly 

 all young birds. Its flight is rapid and even, and frequently 

 at considerable altitudes. The breeding-season is in Septem- 

 ber and October ; the eggs being from four to seven in 

 number," of a pure white, eleven lines long by eight and a 

 half lines broad. 



The sexes differ but httle in their outward appearance; 

 but the female is never so bright in her colouring, neither is 

 she so large as the male. 



A bar of deep indigo-blue across the forehead, bordered 

 above by a narrow edging of light metallic blue, which is 

 continued over the eye ; lores rich yellow ; head, cheeks, 

 scapularies, back, and upper shoulders greenish blue ; second- 

 aries deep blue, edged with lighter ; primaries black, the first 

 three or four edged externally with greenish blue ; tail-coverts 

 golden olive-green ; throat and chest greenish yellow, passing 

 into bright yellow on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; 

 the centre of the abdomen tinged with orange ; two middle 

 tail-feathers greenish blue, the remainder blue at the base, and 

 largely tipped with yellow ; irides very dark brown ; bill dark 

 brown, lighter on the under side ; legs and feet dull brown. 



Total length 9 inches ; wing 4f ; tail 5 J ; tarsi |. 



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