PAROQUETS. 207 



PAROQUETS. 



THE Undulated Grass Paroquet, or Shell Parrot, called in America the Austra- 

 lian Paroquet, is one of the handsomest and most enjoyable of cage-birds. 



These Paroquets spread over immense districts in Australia, feeding on the 

 seeds of the tall grasses, but breed only in the southern parts, provided the spring- 

 rains of September and October produce a sufficient crop of grass-seeds. In case of 

 a drought in the southern part of the country, the birds migrate north, where tropi- 

 cal storms produce some amount of grass and seeds. It thus happens, that, in dis- 

 tricts where one year thousands of Grass Paroquets are caught, not one is ever 

 seen in another year if drought occurs. 



In size, the bird's body is about as large as a Canary's : the tail is very long, so 

 that the full length of the bird is between nine and ten inches. The body is slender 

 and elegantly formed, the tail long and graduated, the wings comparatively long 

 and pointed, the beak moderately large, with a long, curved point. The feet are 

 long, and the toes slender, the outer one being longer than the inner. 



The beautiful grass-green color that predominates in the plumage is prettily 

 marked : the whole of the mantle that is, the back of the head, neck, top of the 

 back, shoulders, and wing-coverts is pale yellowish green, each feather being edged 

 and spotted with black or brown, more finely on the head and neck than on the 

 back ; the under side is of a beautiful, uniform green. The parts of the face that 

 is, the fore part of the head, vertex, and throat are yellow bordered, and spotted 

 with four bright blue spots, of which those upon the cheeks are the largest, while the 

 others look like three little round drops. The wings are brown ; the outer web 

 of the quills dark gray, spotted with greenish yellow ; the tail, with the exception of 

 two middle blue feathers, is green. The female is distinguished from her mate in 

 being somewhat smaller, and by the different color of the nostrils ; the male's being- 

 deep blue, while the female's are a light grayish green. 



Only within a few years have these birds been at all plenty. In 1840 Gould suc- 

 ceeded in taking the first live pair to England; and, between that date and 1850. 

 single pairs sold at the extravagant price of thirty pounds. At the present writing. 

 May, 1882, it is difficult to obtain in America the birds that are imported from 

 Australia ; as thousands are now bred in different parts of Europe, the greatest 

 numbers being bred in the Zoological Garden in Antwerp. 



On the plains of Australia, the Undulated Grass Paroquets live on grass-seed ; 

 and in confinement they care for little else than canary-seed, and nothing agrees 

 with them so well. 



To tame them is a difficult task, for the simple reason that the birds are entirely 



