70 cassell's book of birds. 



the black-tailed superb parrot. 



The Black-tailed Superb Parrot is found in numerous flocks on the banks of the Murray, 

 and lives principally among thick shrubs and upon the gum-trees. Its food consists of seeds, 

 buds, and the honey which it obtains from the blossoms of the Eucalypti. Its flight is very rapid ; 

 its voice a loud screaming cry, which becomes a discordant chatter when a flock settles. 



We are more intimately acquainted with the so-called GRASS PARROTS (Platycerci), a 

 beautifully marked, small-beaked, high-footed race, whose short tail is broader at the end than at the 

 root. They are found in New Holland, distributed over the whole of that continent ; and, as they 

 keep together in flocks, are very troublesome to the settlers. In their habits they have much in 

 common with the Sparrow Parrots and with the Finches. They run more than they climb, frequenting 

 the country roads, like our sparrows, the fields, like our finches, or the grassy plains, like the 

 reed sparrows, and are only found in the woods, or on solitary trees, during the time that they 

 roost. They wander much about the country, and appear unexpectedly in great flocks in certain 

 places, which they leave as suddenly when food becomes scarce. Most species eat seeds ex- 

 clusively, preferring those of different kinds of grass. They differ remarkably from other parrots in 

 the circumstance that the female lays from six to ten eggs, and rears a numerous family. ' They can 

 generally endure captivity, but do not enjoy the company of mankind, and seldom learn to distinguish 

 their friends from those whom they have cause to fear. 



THE ROSELLA. 

 The Rosella (Platycercus eximius) is a truly splendid bird, thirteen inches in length. The fore 

 part of the head, back of the neck, breast, and under tail-covers, are scarlet ; the cheeks white ; 

 the feathers on the back black, bordered with yellow ; the rump, upper tail-covers, and belly, with the 

 exception of a yellow spot in the middle, are of a bright pale green ; the middle of the wings bright 

 blue ; the quills dark brown, the outer border blue ; the two middle tail-feathers green, changing 

 to blueish-green ; all the rest blue at the root, shading into light blue, and tipped with white ; the 

 beak is horn-coloured ; the foot brown ; the pupils blackish brown. The young, when they leave the 

 nest, have a coat very similar to the old birds, without its full brilliancy ; they are also recognisable 

 by their yellow beaks. These beautiful parrots are natives of New South Wales and Tasmania, 

 where they are very common, but only in especial districts, often bounded by a brook, over which 

 they will not pass. They do not congregate in large flocks, but in small groups or families. Open 

 countries are their favourite resorts, or grassy hills and plains planted with high trees or groups 

 of bushes. From these trees, which become the central point of their movements, they fly over 

 the little sandy plains or open country into the woods to seek their food. They are as often to 

 be found upon the roads as our sparrows, and, like them, if startled, only fly to the nearest tree or 

 hedge by the wayside, soon returning again to the ground. Travellers are unanimous in saying that 

 the impression made on Europeans by the profusion of these magnificent birds surpasses description. 

 The Rosella flies in curves, with rapid strokes of its wing, but seldom to any great distance, as it is 

 soon fatigued ; it moves with ease upon the ground, and is quite equal to our Finches in agility. The 

 voice of this species, like that of most of its congeners, is a pleasant pipe, which might almost be 

 called a song. Its food consists of seeds of different kinds, principally those of grasses ; but it will 

 also at times eat insects ; the breeding-time is in the months of October and January, which answers 

 to our spring. The female lays from seven to ten beautiful elongated white eggs in a hole in the 

 branch of an Eucalyptus, or some similar tree. 



