rut: \\.\ni. GRASS PA inn A KKT. 



. 





y.* nun -li l-r.^-r than th- ..therm, sometimes projecting nmrh r..m mrhm. The female k 

 A holly gram, and may t hereby be distinguiMlM-d fr..m h.-r mate, t < :.ible develop- 



in-lit "f tl' .-entral feathers of the tail. th- length .,f thi* hinl m accurately given, but 



Mi:iy be aet down from sixteen to eighteen Inches. The upper mandible is coral-red, and th- 

 |.ns,-i- is Nurkish ; the feet are flesh -colored. 



ONK of the very prettiest and moeit interestim: <>f tin- Parrot tribe in the GRAM, or ZKBRA 

 PARKAKKET; deriving its names from ita habits and th- marking* ..f it-. plumage. 



It is a native of Australia, nnd may I*- fmm.i in almost all the c. t rUonsof thai 



bind, whence it has been imported in such great iiimilwn aa an inhabitant ..f <mr aviaries, 

 This graceful little creature derives ita name of Grass Parrakeet from it.* fondnewi for the 

 grass lands, where it may be seen in great number*, runnim; amid th thirk gnu* blades, 

 I i Hiring to their stems, or feeding on 

 th-ir seeds. It is always an inland 

 bird, being very seldom seen between 

 the mountain ranges and the coasts. 



Of the habits of thin bird Mr. 

 Gould writes as follows : " I found 

 myself surrounded by numbers, breed- 

 ing in all the hollow spouts of the large 

 Eucalypti bordering the Mokai ; and on 

 crossini: the plains between that river 

 and the Peel, in the direction of the 

 Tim mountains, I saw them in flocks of 

 many hundreds, feeding upon the grass 

 seeds that are there abundant. So 

 numerous were they, that I determined 

 to encamp upon the spot, in order to 

 observe their habits and to procure 

 specimens. The nature of their food 

 and the excessive heat of these plains 

 compel them frequently to seek the 

 water ; hence my camp, which was 

 pitched near some small fords, was 

 constantly surrounded by large num- 

 bers, arriving in flocks varying from 

 twenty to a hundred or more. 



"The hours at which they were 

 most numerous were early in the morn- 

 ing, and some time before dork in the 

 evening. Before going down to drink, 

 they alight on the neighboring trees, 



nettling together in clusters, sometimes on the dead branches, and at others on the drooping 

 boughs of the Eucalypti. Their flight is remarkably straight and rapid, and is generally 

 accompanied by a screeching noise. During the heat of the day, when sitting motionless 

 among the leaves of the gum-trees, they so closely assimilate in color, particularly on the 

 breast, that they are with difficulty detected." 



The voice of this bird is quite unlike the rough screeching sounds in which Parrots seem 

 to delight, and is a gentle, soft, warbling kind of song, which seems to be contained within the 

 body, and is not poured out with that decision which is usually found in birds that can sing, 

 however small their efforts may be. This song, if it may be so called, belongs only to the 

 male bird, who seems to have an idea that his voice must be very agreeable to his mate, for in 

 light warm weather he will warble nearly all day long, and often poshes hi* hrak almost into 

 the ear of his mate, so as to give her the full benefit of his song. The lady, however, does not 



WAKBUXO OBAM FAWUEEBT- 



