EUPHEMA CHRYSOSTOMA. 



(Blue-handed Grass Parrakeef.) 



Forehead, crossed by a band of deep blue, edged above by a line of pale blue ; lores and stripe behind the eye, deep yellow ; shoulders and 

 wing coverts, bright blue ; primaries, black, edged with bluish green ; abdomen and under tail coverts, yellow ; the four central feathers of 

 tail, greenish blue— the remainder, blue on the outer edges at the base, and largely tipped with yellow; the remainder of the plumage, olive 

 green ; irides, bill, and feet, brown. The sexes are similar. 



Length, 9 inches ; wing, 4 ; tail, 5 ; tarsus, i. 



This species is an inhabitant of the southern portions of Australia only— Victoria, the isles of Bass' Straits, and Tasmania, being 

 merely a summer visitant of the latter colony. It is constantly to be seen on the ground, its food consisting of the seeds of various grasses, 

 through which it threads its w-ay with great dexterity. When disturbed, it flies off" to the nearest tree, and when the danger is over returns 

 to the ground. It breeds in October and November. The eggs are, as -usual with the parrot tribe in general, deposited in the hole of a 

 tree ; they are white, and from five to seven in number. 



EUPHEMA SPLENDIDA. 



(Splendid Grass Farrakeet.) 



Male.— Head, deep ultramarine blue, tinged at the throat with purple ; behind the neck, back, upper tail coverts, sides of the chest, and 

 flanks, rich olive green ; upper portion of wing, beautiful light blue, deepest on the shoulder ; secondaries, greyish green on the outer webs, 

 dark brown on the inner webs; outer webs of spurious wings and primaries, dark indigo blue, shading into brown at their tips ; inner webs, 



brown ; centre of chest, fine scarlet ; the remainder of the under surface, deep yellow ; the four central feathers of tail, bluish green the 



outer margin of the inner webs black ; the remainder of the tail feathers are more or less largely tipped with yellow, the basal portions being 

 green shading into black ; bill, dark horn color ; feet, brownish grey. 



Female.— Forehead, obscurely banded with blue ; feathers of cheeks, green, tipped with blue ; shoulders and upper portions of 

 wings, light blue ; edges of primaries and spurious wings, greenish blue ; chest, and upper surface, green ; abdomen, bright yellow ; under tail 

 coverts, greenish yellow ; tail, similar to that of the male, but darker in color. 



Length, 8 inches ; wing, 4^ ; tail, 4^ ; tarsus, ^. 



Of all the Parrakeets belonging to the genus Euphema this must be regarded as the most beautiful. The richness and 

 splendour of its coloring, no doubt, suggested the appropriate name given to it by Mr. aould. It is a rare species, and exclusively confined to 

 the interior, where its range must be wide, as it has been obtained in Western Australia and also on the Darling Eiver, and in the Murray 

 Scrub. The beautiful but common species, E. PulcheUa, is the most nearly related to the present, but may at once be distinguished by the 

 absence of the glowing scarlet breast, and the possession of a bright patch of chestnut near the shoulder. 



