THE GROUND PARRAKEET. 



515 



coming much into fashion as an inhabitant of the aviary, and will probably be brought over 

 to England in great numbers. The natural food of the Rose-hill Parrakeet consists of seeds, 

 a diet which it varies by eating many kinds of insects, a food which every Australian bird 

 can have in the greatest variety, and without the slightest fear of stint. 



The eggs of this bird are rather numerous, being from seven to ten as a general average, 

 and they are laid in the bark of some decaying gum-tree. Their colour is pure white. 



The plumage of the adult 

 Rose-hill Parrakeet is very beau- 

 tiful, and is coloured as follows : 

 The head, sides of the face, back 

 of the neck, and the breast, are 

 glowing scarlet, connected with 

 each other by a band that passes 

 over the shoulders. The chin 

 and upper part of the throat are 

 pure white. The feathers of the 

 back are very dark black-green, 

 broadly edged with light green of 

 that exquisite hue which is only 

 seen in the early spring leaves of 

 the hawthorn. The upper tail- 

 coverts are wholly of this beau- 

 tiful leaf-greeik. The shoulder of 

 the wing is shining lilac mixed 

 with black, which by degrees 

 settles upon the centre of the 

 feathers, so that many of the ter- 

 tiaries are nearly of the same 

 colour as the feathers of the back. 

 Many of the tertiaries have their 

 centre black-green, their edges 

 bright golden yellow, and a very 

 little bright green spot just on 

 the tip. The primaries are dull 

 blackish brown, with a tinge of 

 purple on their inner webs. The 

 central feathers of the tail are 

 dull green, and the others are 

 lilac-blue, deeper towards their 

 base and becoming nearly white 

 at their tips. They are regularly 

 graduated, the central being the 

 longest, and on their under sur- 

 faces are a few scattered dashes 

 of black. The lower part of the 

 breast is yellow, which changes 

 gradually into very light green 



on the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts are light scarlet. In total length it measures 

 about thirteen inches. 



ALTHOUGH not endowed with the glowing hues of the preceding species, the G BOUND 

 PARRAKEET is a remarkably pretty and interesting bird. 



This species derives its name from its ground-loving habits. Mr. Gould says 

 that it never perches on trees ; but the author of " Bush Wanderings in Australia" 

 remarks that he has seen it perching upon the tea-tree scrub. From its peculiarly 

 pheasant-like shape and habits, it is sometimes called the pheasant by the colonists. 



LL 2 



ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET. Platycc-cus eximius. 



