100 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



it not for their movements and the trembling of the leaves it 

 would be difficult to perceive them without a minute examination 

 of the tree upon which they have alighted." 



*GROUND-PARKAKEET 

 (Pezoporus formosus, Lath.) 



Male. General colour green; forehead orange, somewhat in- 

 clined to red ; feathers of crown and nape of neck centrally streaked 

 with black; remainder of upper surface irregularly banded with 

 black and yellow; four central tail feathers green, narrowly barred 

 with yellow; lateral feathers yellow, barred with deep green; 

 quills brown, with outer webs greenish ; fore-neck sparsely spotted 

 with black; breast, abdomen, and under tail coverts greenish- 

 yellow, somewhat heavily bordered with black; under surface of 

 quills grey, with a yellow baud; " bill horn; feet bluish flesh colour; 

 iris black, with a fine ring of light grey " (Gould). Dimensions in 

 mm. : Length, 315; bill, 16; wing, 130; tail, 192; tarsus, 23. 



Female. Similar to male. 



Young. No orange band on forehead. 



Nest. A hollow in the ground under the shelter of a clump 

 of band-grass, button-grass, or even thistles; the hollow usually 

 has a lining of fine grass. 



Eggs. Clutch three to four; round in shape; texture fine; 

 surface glossy ; colour pure while. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : 

 (1) 25.15 x 21, (2) 25 x 20.5, (3) 26 x 21. 



Breeding Season. September to November. 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania and some of the larger 

 islands in Bass Strait, New South Wales, Victoria, South and 

 Western Australia. 



Observations. The range of this species in the northern part 

 of the island is somewhat wide, but nowhere is it at all plentiful. It. 

 consorts in small bands of about half a dozen individuals. In 

 various localities along the North and North-East Coast it is more 

 plentiful than in inland districts. 



Although epacris and grass-tree covered country, such as is to 

 be found about Falmouth and George's Bay, are its favourite 

 haunts, yet I have seen it equally at home in paddocks thickly 

 covered with Scotch thistle some miles past Cressy and towards 

 the Lakes. The Ground-Parrakeet is purely a terrestrial species, 

 it seeming incapable of perching like others of the Parrot family. 

 When flushed it will fly for a few yards, then, drop on to the 

 ground again, seeking to elude its pursuer by running swiftly 

 and hiding itself among the undergrowth. 



