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male bird (v), and I doubt very much whether Dr. Butler or any other

person ever saw an adult full-plumaged cock with centre tail-feathers green.


In addition to blue tail, you must look for a bold masculine head,

brilliant colour, and size.


On August 29th I had the pleasure of seeing the birds in question,

both young and old, and I consider them typical birds of P. elegans.


Would Dr. Butler sav whether the bird he calls Adelaide Broadtail is

identical with the Yellow-rumped Parrakeet illustrated and described by

Dr. Greene, in vol. II. p. 8 of “ Parrots in Captivity ” ? ( b)


F. W. Oates.



Sir,— If I may venture to comment upon Mr. Farrar’s letter,

published in the September number, about the colouring of the female

Pennant, I would say that I believe I possessed a true pair of these birds,

which I kept in 1113’ outdoor aviaries for a year (I still have the male bird),

and the only difference I could discern between the male and the female

was that the latter had a smaller head, with an altogether feminine

appearance, when side by side with her mate. To a practised eye the

difference was decided. The colouring was the same, except that in the

female it was less brilliant.


I regret that she died, as also did a hen Crimson-wing about the

same time, whilst her mate (as in the case of the Pennant) still survives.

This is only too often the case.


I believe the foot-note of A. G. B. is, probably, quite correct, with

regard to Mr. P'arrar’s remarks. Do not all young Australian Parrakeets

resemble, for the most part, the adult female when the}' leave the nest ?

It is not likely, if the Pennants bred in Mr. Farrar’s aviary were pure, that

some would have green tail centres, and some blue. This fact seems to me

to show that the male and female are of different species, and that two have

taken after the mother, and three after the father (Platycercus adelaidce and

P. elegans respectively). Naturally, one would not like to state this as an

absolute surety, for, whatever one’s experience, one can always be open to

correction.


May I be allowed, in all courtesy, to say that it seems a pity that

letters should be couched in a style which do not exactly assist an Editor

in the somewhat difficult task of correcting or offering his help in pointing

out mistakes on the part of the writers ? Neither do I think that Mr.

Fillmer’s original comment upon Mr. Farrar’s original letter about Pennants

was in the least ‘ impolite.’ Mr. Fillmer’s duty was to state what he believed

to be a wrong impression, and in that statement he took care to say that his

remarks were not aimed at Mr. Farrar personally, but would apply to all

articles published in the Magazine.


Readers of it would not weary of Mr. Farrar’s articles on birds (as

such they are most interesting), but would they not soon grow weary of a



(3) Certainly not ; but that is probably the bird which Mr. Farrar takes for the

Adelaide Broadtail. The latter corresponds in every respect with Mr. Farrar’s description

of his supposed female Pennants and is the only species which (in both sexes) answers to

his description of the hen. If Mr. Oates has birds so-coloured, and believes them to be

hen Pennants, I am afraid he will have to alter his opinion ; it is not probable that there

are two forms of female Pennants, one almost identical in every respect with the male, and

the other indistinguishable from the hen of the Adelaide Broadtail.—A. G. B.



