107 



35 



lOURKE'S lEARRAKEET. 



Psittacus Bourki, Russ. 



Synonyms: Eiiphema Bourkii, Gld.; Platycercus Bourki, Fnsch. 



German: Der Bourksittich. 



T i 1HIS most charming Parrakeet was discovered by the late John 

 J_ Gould, F.R.S., in the interior of New South Wales, where it is 

 far from common, and was named by him after Governor Bourke of 

 that colony. 



It is a small bird, in size between the Budgerigar and the Tur- 

 quoisine, very gentle and inoffensive, and extremely pretty. Like the 

 Budgerigar, it is waved, or undulated, but on a pale salmon instead 

 of a yellow ground, the forehead, the tops of the shoulders and the 

 sides are blue, the beak is black, and the feet brownish grey: a small 

 white ring surrounds the eyes, which are full and dark. 



The female resembles her mate, but is without the blue frontlet, 

 which serves as a differentiating mark between the sexes: the young 

 resemble their mother. These beautiful birds are said to have been 

 bred in Germany, while in this country the nearest approach to success 

 that has been chronicled is the production of eggs; but as they are 

 fairly hardy birds, amateurs should live in hopes of ultimately getting 

 them to reproduce their species here. 



Dr. Buss writes respecting the Bourke, " 1st durchaus nidit weichlich 

 unci nistet ebensowol im Kdfige als audi in der Vogelstube unsdxwer und 

 sicher", (It is by no means delicate, and nests as well and readily in 

 the Cage as in the Bird-room.) 



As it is rarely imported, the Bourke commands a high price, £10 

 being the sum usually demanded by the dealers for a couple of these 

 birds; and we are not aware of any aviary-bred specimens having been 

 offered in the market; so that to breed a few of them would be a 

 very lucrative speculation; but they are as rare almost as a Phoenix, 



