492 



CrraSurj? at Natural f&t' 



HEADED MANAIUN. This bird inhabits Van 

 Diemen's Laud, and is the commonest of 

 the island ; wherever, indeed, the gum and 

 wattle trees are, there may the bird be found, 

 creeping about in the most easy and elegant 

 manner, examining the upper and under 

 sides of leaves for insects. It is found in 



> 



SPOTTED MAHAKIN. 

 V.FARD ALOIS S PT3NOTATU9.) 



the gardens and shrubberies even in towns ; 

 where its sprightly action, and piping though 

 monotonous note, are thought pleasing. It 

 breeds in September and four following 

 months, and has two or three broods in a 

 year. The nest is of a round domed shape, 

 like that of a Wren, with a small hole for 

 an entrance : it is outw_ardly composed of 

 grasses, and warmly lined with feathers. 



PARMOPHORUS, or DUCK'S BILL 

 LIMPET. A genus of Mollusca, found in 

 New Holland and New Zealand ; the shell 

 of which is oblong, slightly depressed, and 

 convex on the outside ; the interior exhibit- 

 ing very strong muscular impressions, which 

 in some species are marked with a blood 

 red colour. The head of the animal is 

 rather indistinct, with two tentacula, having 

 eyes at the base ; foot very large. 



PARNASSIUS. A very beautiful genus 

 of Butterflies found on mountains in Europe 

 and Asia, and lately ascertained by the most 



profound Lepidopterist of this country, Mr. 

 Edw. Doubleday, to be indigenous to North 

 America, on the Rocky Mountains. The best 

 known species, which is here figured, is the 

 Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius Apollo), found 

 in Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is 

 white, with various black markings ; and 

 these colours, with the beautiful crimson 

 spots on the wings and the elegant shape of 

 this pretty species, combine to make a most 

 pleasing object to look at. The species has 



been reported to be found :in Scotland, but 

 the statement does not rest on good autho- 

 rity. 



PAROQUET, or PARRAKEET. (.Pdlce- 

 ornis.) A distinctive appellation for a group j 

 of birds belonging to the Psittacidoe, or | 

 Parrot tribe, which are smaller than the 

 common Parrots, and have longer tails. 

 There are numerous species ; some, distin- 

 guished by a very long pointed tail and i 

 collar-like mark round the neck, which in- I 

 habit the Asiatic continent and islands ; I 

 and others, natives of Australia, which are 

 distinguished by their colours being gorge- 

 ously variegated, and peculiarly mottled on 

 the back ; by their tail-feathers not being 

 pointed ; and by their being furnished with 

 elongated tarsi, adapted for running on the 

 ground. [See PEZOPORUS : PLATYCERCUS.] 



The RING PAROQUET. (Palceornis Alex- 

 andri.) This beautiful species, no less re- 

 markable for its symmetrical form and grace- 

 ful movements, than for its docility and imi- 

 tative powers, is supposed to have been the 

 first bird of the parrot kind known to the 

 ancient Greeks and Romans, having b^en 

 brought from the island of Ceylon, after the 

 Indian expeditions of Alexander the Great. 

 They afterwards obtained other species from ' 

 Africa. The size of the Alexandrine or Ring 

 Paroquet is that of a common pigeon ; its 

 general length about fifteen inches, and its 

 colour an elegant bright green above, paler or 

 yellower beneath ; across each shoulder, on 

 the smaller coverts, is a lengthened purplish- 

 red patch or spot ; and from the base of the 



(PAL.SORNI8 TOBQDATUS.) 



lower mandible, on each side, proceeds a 

 moderately broad black band or stripe, 

 which, after descending a little way, passes 

 backwards so as almost to encircle the neck, 

 growing very narrow as it approaches the 

 back part, which is marked by a red collar, 

 near half an inch wide, but narrowing as it 

 passes forwards immediately beneath the 

 black one, almost reaching the front of the 

 neck : the back part of the head, towards 



