BLUK-BOXXKT PARRAKEETS. 



227 



from five to ten in number, sometimes on the ground 

 among the tall grasses, at others among the high trees, 

 particularly the Eucalypti." 



Mr. North says : " In the cultivated portions of the 

 country the birds assemble together in small flocks, 

 and commit great depredations 0.11 the crops, conse- 

 quently a merciless warfare is waged against them by 

 the farmers. For a set of the eggs of this species I 

 am indebted to Mr. Joseph A. Hill, of Pine Rise, 

 Kewell, Victoria, who obtained them after carefully 

 watching a pair of birds for some time in the vicinity, 

 on Sept. 15, 1887. They were deposited on the decay- 

 ing w r ood, about 2 ft. down the hollow limb of a 

 Eucalyptus, at a height of 30 ft. from the ground. 

 The eggs are five in number for a sitting, pure white, 

 oval in form, nearly equal in size at both ends." 



" The species breeds during September and the three 

 following month*. ' : 



In 1902 Mrs. Johnstone, of Bury St. Edmunds, 

 succeeded in breeding this handsome species in her 

 aviaries. She published an interesting account of her 

 experience in The Avicultural Magazine, First Series, 

 Vol. III., pp. 249-251. According to Miss Alderson, it 

 is a perfectly hardy bird, preferring even during a 

 bitter winter to spend the night in an outdoor flight to 

 remaining under cover. The species is one well known 

 to aviculturists, but by no means so freely imported as 

 to have become cheap. On the Continent it was bred 

 by Baron von Comely. It was first purchased by the 

 London Zoological Society in 1853, and others have 

 been received subsequently. 



In Australia this is called the " Bulla-Bulla Parra- 

 keet." 



YELLOW-NAPED PARRAKEET (Barnardius semitorquatus). 



Green ; a broad yellow collar at the back of the nape ; 

 outer wing-coverts yellowish-green ; lesser coverts 

 tinged with verdigris ; primary-coverts and base of 

 outer webs of primaries deep blue ; two central tail- 

 feathers dark green, the next pair shading into blue 

 and becoming bluish-white at tips ; lateral feathers 

 similar, but only green at base ; head brownish-black, 

 with a red frontal band ; cheek-feathers and ear-coverts 

 tipped with dark blue ; upper breast dark green, slightly 

 bluish; lower breast, sides, and under tail-coverts 

 yellowish-green ; under wing-coverts blue mixed with 

 green; flights below black; beak pale horn-colour, 

 changing to leaden at front of upper mandible ; feet 

 dark brown; irides dark brown. Female smaller, with 

 the head browner and the green colouring darker, the 

 beak much shorter and rather broader at base. Hab., 

 Western and South-western Australia. 



According to Gould ("Handbook," Vol. II., p. 42), 

 this Parrakeet "inhabits almost every variety of situa- 

 tion, sometimes searching for food upon the ground, 

 and at others on the trees, its chief food being either 

 grass-seeds or the hard-stoned fruits and seeds peculiar 

 to the country in which it lives." 



" While on the wing its motions are rapid, and it 

 often utters a note, which, from its resemblance to those 

 words, has procured for it the appellation of ' Twenty- 

 eight ' Parrakeet from the colonists, the last word or 

 note being sometimes repeated five or six time in suc- 

 cession. 



"The Platycercus semitorquatus begins breeding in 

 the latter part of September or beginning of October, 

 and deposits its eggs in a hole in either a gum or 

 mahogany tree, on the soft black dust collected at 

 the bottom ; they are from seven to nine in number, 

 and of a pure white. In most instances these eggs 

 have a pinky blush before being blown." 



A well-known but not very frequently imported 

 species ; it is sometimes confounded with the next 

 species, and Mr. Pays Mellier, of Champigny, in 1882, 

 bred hybrids between the two species. It was first 

 presented to the London Zoological Society in 1862, and 

 one or two other specimens have been acquired since 

 that date. 



BAUER'S PARRAKEET (Barnardius zonarius). 



Differs from the preceding species in its inferior 

 size, the want of the red frontal band, and its yellow 

 lower breast and abdomen. The female is duller in 

 colouring, has a browner head, the beak wider in the 

 middle, less regularly triangular, and narrower towards 

 tip. Hab., Victoria, South, West and North-west 

 Australia, and the Interior. 



Mr. A. J. Campbell (" Nests and Eggs of Australian 

 Birds," p. 642) thus describes the nidification : "Nest. 

 Within a hole or hollow branch of a tree, the eggs, 

 as in the case of the majority of the tribe, being 

 deposited on the dry decayed dust at the bottom. 

 Eggs. Clutch, five or more ; roundish in shape ; 

 texture of shell fine; surface glossy, with occasionally 

 tiny limy nodules ; colour pure white. Dimensions in 

 inches of a proper clutch from Western Australia : (1) 

 1.27 x . 96, (2) 1.2 x . 94, (3) 1.2 x .93, (4) 1.19 x . 9, (5) 

 1.18 x -95; of odd examples from Central Australia : (1) 

 1.15 x . 96, (2) 1.1 x . 91." 



According to Mr. Keartland, "Although generally in 

 pairs, flocks of six or seven are not uncommon, 

 probably being the parent birds and young brood. 

 Their chief food is grass-seed, but they also display 

 great activity in climbing amongst the foliage in search 

 of blossom." 



In Australia this is known as the "Yellow-banded " 

 or "Port Lincoln" Parrakeet; it is not rarely im- 

 ported into this country, but it is doubtful whether it 

 has been bred here, though Mr. Kohler, of Weissenfels. 

 had a pair which went to nest and reared four young. 

 It seems likely enough that Dr. Greene's observation 

 respecting the ease with which the Yellow-naped Parra- 

 keet goes to nest and brings up its young may in reality 

 apply to the present species, since neither does Mr. 

 Beth-Smith know of an instance of the breeding of 

 B. semitorqitatits in this country, nor does Dr. Russ, 

 in his " Handbook " (whatever he may have done 

 elsewhere), record any instance of the pure species being- 

 bred on the Continent, but only the rearing of hybrids. 

 This Parrakeet first reached the Regent's Park 

 Gardens in 1863 ; others have since been added to the 

 collection there. 



The genus Psephotus has the two central tail-feathers 

 longer than the pair next to them; it contains what 

 Mr. Seth-Smith regards as perhaps the most beautiful, 

 delightful, and desirable of the imported Parrakeet.?. 

 I have no doubt they are excellent subjects for avicul- 

 ture, but the colouring of some of them does not appeal 

 to me personally. The species of Barnardius strike me 

 as infinitely more beautiful, but each one to his taste. 



In captivity Mr. Seth-Smith recommends canary - 

 seed as the staple food for these birds, to which should 

 be added millet, a little hemp and oats, and plenty of 

 green food during the summer months ; but on no 

 account soft food unless they are breeding, and then 

 only bread soaked in cold water and squeezed nearly 

 dry. 



RED-VENTED BLUE-BONNET PARRAKEET 



(Psephotus hcematorrhous). 



" The male has the forehead and face ultramarine 

 blue ; crown of the head, upper surface, sides of the 

 neck, and the chest greyish olive-brown, washed with 



