72 



CASSELLS BOOK OF BIRDS. 



in his harvest, these birds appear before his barns in large flocks, seeking, like pigeons, for stray corn 

 among the stubble. Poetical travellers have often been inspired by the ever varying spectacle 

 presented by such gorgeous objects ; but the settler hates them from the bottom of his heart, and 

 avenges himself for their depredations by shooting them with the same indifference as diat with 

 which our country folks kill sparrows. 



THE WAVED PARROT (Mdopsitiacus undulatus). 



This beautiful bird is of small size, though its long tail makes it seem larger than it is ; its 

 length is from eight to nine inches, and the span of its wings ten inches. The body is slender 



THE rosella (Platycercus eximiiis). 



and elegantly formed, the tail long and graduated, the wings comparatively long and pointed, the 

 beak moderately large, with a long curved point. The cere, in which the large nostrils are placed, 

 is broad and slightly inflated ; the feet long, the toes slender, the outer one being longer than the 

 inner. The beautiful grass green that predominates in the plumage is prettily marked ; the whole of 

 the mantle — that is, the back of the head, neck, top of the back, shoulders, and wing-covers — are pale 

 yellowish green, each feather being edged and spotted with black and brown, more finely on the 

 neck and head than on the back ; the under side is of a beautiful uniform green. The parts of 

 the face, that is, the fore part of the head, vertex, and throat, are yellow, bordered and spotted 

 with four bright blue spots, of which those upon the cheeks are the largest, while the others look 

 like three little round drops. The wings are brown, the outer web of the quills dark grey, spotted 

 with greenish yellow ; the tail, with the exception of the two blue middle feathers, is green in the 

 middle. Each feather is striped with yellow, the eye-rings yellowish white, the beak hom-coloured, 

 the feet pale blue. The female is distinguished from her mate in being somewhat smaller, and 



