166 KATUBAL HISTOEY SKETCHES. 



half the size of the mountain parrot, of a bright green 

 colour, the back light brown, yellow shoulders, and red 

 under the tail, which is short and pointed. These and 

 the blue mountaineers were the only two species that 

 seemed to associate in flocks. It is a sharp-flying little 

 bird, has a shrill scream ; generally frequented the 

 gums ; and it was pretty to watch them, creeping like 

 mice among the bunches of blossoms, when feeding. 

 They were very rarely on the ground under the trees. 

 They are very plump, and excellent eating. 



"We had a smaller species of this paroqueet which 

 resembled it in all respects, but it was only half as large, 

 and much rarer. They used to associate. 



All the parrots come into their best plumage about 

 May, remain so till December, when they begin to get 

 dull and ragged. The birds in this country appear to 

 moult but once in the year, just after the breeding 

 season, and are a long time before they come into good 

 plumage. No birds here are of much value to the 

 collector, from the beginning of December till the end of 

 April. 



Owing to the dense foliage of the trees, the brilliant 

 plumage of the birds in the Australian forests does not 

 strike the eye, as might at first be supposed ; and as is 

 the case with the small flowers, it is not until they are 

 collected and closely examined that one sees how beau- 

 tiful they are. 



The swift Mying Loriqueet was by far the handsomest 

 of our common paroqueets, and stands in the same rela- 



