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GROUND PABRAKEET.— /'c.-opftoriis foniwsus. 



It is a very common bird, and is found spread over the whole of Southern Australia 

 and Van Diemen's Land. 



It is remarkable that this bird, which has much of the outline of the pheasant, should 

 have many of the habits of our game birds, and a very strong game odour. It runs very 

 rapidly on the ground, and is especially excellent at getting through grass-stems, among 

 which it winds its way with such wonderful celerity, that it can baffle almost any dog. 

 Flight seems to be its last resource ; and even when it does take to wing, it remains in the 

 air but a very short time, and then pitches and takes to its feet. 



The flight is very low, very quick, as bewilderingly irregular as that of the snipe, but is 

 not maintained for more than a hundred yards. When the dogs come near the place where 

 it is concealed, it crouches closely to the ground, hoping thereby to escape detection ; luit if 

 this stratagem should prove of no avail, it leaps suddenly into the air, dashes forward for 

 a few yards, and then settles again. This bird makes no nest, and does not even make its 

 home in the hollow of a tree, but lays its white eg'gs upon the bare ground. 



The flesh of the Ground Parrakeet bears some resemblance to that of our British 

 game birds, and is said to be somewhat of the same character as that of the snipe or 

 the quail. 



The general colour of this pretty bird is dark green above, mottled with yellow and 

 variegated witli a multitude of black semilunar markings. The under surface is yellow, 

 changing to a greener tint upon the throat, and also mottled witli a darker hue. Th(> tail 

 is long and slender, the two central feathers are green barred with yellow, and the rest arc 

 marked in just the reverse fashion, being yellow barred with dark green. 



