THE GROUND PAERAKEET. 



515 



coming much into fashion as an inhabitant of the a\nary, and M'ill probaljiy be brought over 

 to England in great numbers. The natural food of the Eose-hill Parrakeet consists of seeds, 

 a diet which it varies by eating many kinds of insects, a food which every Australian bird 

 can have in the greatest variety, and without the slightest fear of stint. 



The eggs of this bird are rather numerous, being from seven to ten as a general average, 

 and they are laid in the Ijark of some decaying gum-tree. Their colour is pure white. 



The plumage of the adult 

 Eose-hill Parrakeet is very beau- 

 tiful, and is coloured as ibllows : 

 The head, sides of the face, back 

 of the neck, and the breast, are 

 glowing scarlet, connected with 

 each other by a band that passes 

 over the shoulders. The chin 

 and upper part of the throat are 

 pure white. The feathers of the 

 back are very dark black-gi'een, 

 broadly edged with light green of 

 that exquisite hue which is only 

 seen in the early spring leaves of 

 the hawthorn. The upper tail- 

 coverts are wholly of this beau- 

 tiful leaf-green. The shoulder of 

 the wing is shining lilac mixed 

 with black, which by degi'ees 

 settles upon the centre of the 

 feathers, so that many of the ter- 

 tiaries are nearly of the same 

 colour as the feathers of the back. 

 Many of the tertiaries have their 

 centre black-green, their edges 

 bright golden j^ellow, and a vei-y 

 little bright green spot just on 

 the tip. The primaries are dull 

 .-blackish brown, with a tinge of 

 purple on their inner webs. The 

 central feathers of the tail are 

 dull green, and the others are 

 lilac-blue, deeper towards their 

 base and becoming nearly wliite 

 at their tips. They are regularly 

 graduated, the central being the 

 longest, and on their under sur- 

 faces are a few scattered dashes 

 of black. The lower jiart of the 

 breast is yellow, wdiich changes 

 gradually into very light green 



on the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts are light scarlet, 

 about thiilcen inches. 



ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET.— p;afi/«ra« eximius. 



In total lenath it measures 



Although not endowed with the glowing hues of the preceding species, the GEorKD 

 Paeeakeet is a remarkably pretty and interesting bird. 



This species derives its name from its ground-loving habits. Mr. Gould says 

 that it never perches on trees; but the author of "Push Wanderings in Australia" 

 remarks that he has seen it perching upon the tea-tree scrub. From its peculiarly 

 pheasant-like shape and habits, it is sometimes called the pheasant by the colonists. 



L L 2 



