1898 



THE PARROT TRIBE 



Grass 



Parraquets 



The grass parraquets, of which the turquoisine (Neophema pulchella) 

 is the most familiar example, form a small genus restricted to the 

 south of Australia and Tasmania. They belong to a group of genera 

 readily distinguished from the broadtails by the uniform coloration of the feathers 

 of the back, and are specially characterized by the bill being deeper than long, 

 without any notch in its upper mandible; by the absence of a yellow collar on the 



TURQUOISINE GRASS PARRAQUET. 

 (Two-fifths natural size.) 



neck, and the nearly uniform length of the four middle feathers of the tail. The 

 turquoisine is about the size of a lark, its total length being eight and one-half 

 inches, of which rather more than half is occupied by the tail. It derives its name 

 from the turquoise blue on the front of the head and wing coverts. The general 

 color of the upper parts is green, with the forehead, a streak over the eye, the 

 cheeks, and wing coverts turquoise blue; the breast, abdomen, and the under tail 



