138 How to Sex Cage Birds. 



yellow or green on the under parts ; this does not quite correspond 

 with Mr Seth-Smith's description, in which we read : " Abdomen 

 pale yellow j vent and under tail-coverts white ; wing-coverts greyish- 

 green, tinged with blue; primary -coverts and outer web of 

 primaries dull blue," but it is possible that the example may be 

 abnormal. The desci'iption in Parrakeets is sure *. be reliable. 

 The odd thing is that Salvadori, describing the young, says : 

 " Middle of the abdomen yellow," yet my note was made from a 

 Museum exrmple marked as a female, and which, therefore, should 

 have shown a yellow abdomen. Perhaps the light was not good, 

 and my sight a little defective from ill-health. 



Bourke's Parrakeet (Neophema bourkei). 



The female is rather smaller than the male, has a much shorter 

 beak, with thicker and less pointed terminal hook (but this last 

 characteristic may vary with age); she is also "duller and paler; 

 the blue frontal band wanting " (Salvadori). 



Blue-winged Grass Parrakeet (Neophema venusta). 



A rarely imported species, the female of which differs from the 

 male in its duller colouring. 



Elegant Grass Parrakeet {Neophema elegans). 



The female is smaller than the male, as usual, with a considerably 

 shorter beak ; she is duller in colour, and has a narrower frontal blue 

 band. 



Orange-bellied Grass Parrakeet (Neophema chrysogaslra). 



The female of this rarely imported species is smaller and " duller 

 than the male; the abdominal orange spot neither so extensive nor 

 so brilliant" (Salvadori; c.f. Gould, Handbook of Birds of Australia, 

 ii. p. 76, 1865).* 



Turquoisine Grass Parrakeet (Neophema pulchella). 



The female is smaller than the male, has a thicker, shorter beak, 

 but differs as follows: "Above duller green; frontal band blue 

 passing over and behind the eyes; a line before the blue frontal 

 band, and lores pale yellowish ; cheeks, tinged with blue ; wings as 

 in the male, only duller, and with no red-chestnut spot on the inner 

 upper wing-coverts ; throat and breast yellowish green ; tail as in 

 the male" (Salvadori, Catalogue of Birds, vol. xx. p. 576). 



Splendid Grass Parrakeet (Neophema splendida). 



In the sexes of this species the beak differs very little, that of the 

 female is perhaps a trifle broader ; fortunately she differs a good 

 deal in colour. "Much duller than the male ; face and upper wing- 



* There are no sexed specimens in the Museum, but what I take to be the 

 female has a shorter beak with less acute terminal hook: it is not only much 

 duller and with more restricted orange patch on the abdomen than the probable 

 males, but its wings are much less blue. 



