100 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



it not for their movements and the trembhng of the leaves it 

 would be difficult to perceive them without a minute examination 

 of the tree upon which they have alighted." 



*G-EOUND-PAERAKEET 

 {Pezoporus formosus, Lath.) 



Male. — General colour green; forehead orange, aoixiewhat in- 

 clined to red ; feathers of crown and nape of neck centrally streaked 

 with black ; remainder of upper surface irregularly banded with 

 black and yellow; four central tail feathers green, narrowly barred 

 with yellow; lateral feathers yellow, barred with deep green; 

 quills brown, with outer webs greenish ; fore-neck sparsely spotted 

 with black; breast, abdomen, and under tail coverts greenish- 

 yellow, somewhat heavily bordered with black; under surface of 

 quills grey, with a yellow band ; ' ' bill horn ; feet bluish flesh colour ; 

 iris black, with a fine ring of light grey " (Gould). Dimensions in 

 mm. :— Length, 315; bill, 16; wing, 130; tail, 192; tarsus, 23. 



Female.- — Similar to male. 



Young. — No orange band on forehead. 



Nest. — A hollow in the ground under the shelter of a clump 

 of band-grass, button-grass, or even thistles; the hollow usually 

 has a lining of fine grass. 



Eggs. — Clutch three to four; round in shape; texture fine; 

 surface glossy ; colour pure while. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : 

 —(1) 25.15 X 21, (2) 25 x 20.5, (3) 26 x 21. 



Breeding Season. — September to November. 



Geogra-phical Distribution. — Tasmania and some of the larger 

 islands in Bass Strait, New South Wales, Victoria, South and 

 Western Australia. 



Observations. — ^The range of this species in the northern part 

 of the island is somewhat wide, but nowh'ere is it at all plentiful. It 

 consorts in small bands of about half a dozen individuals. In 

 various localities along the North and North-East Coast it is more 

 plentiful than in inland districts. 



Although epacris and grass-tree covered country, such as is to 

 be found about Ealmouth and George's Bay, are its favourite 

 haunts, yet I have seen it equally at home in paddocks thickly 

 covered with Scotch thistle some miles past Cressy and towards 

 the Lakes. The Ground-Parrakeet is purely a terrestrial species, 

 it seeming incapable of perching like others of the Parrot family. 

 When flushed it will fly for a few j'ards, then drop on to the 

 ground again, seeking to elude its pursuer by running swiftly 

 and hiding itself among the undergrowth. 



