PALE-HEADED BO SELL A. 7 



eggs, and hemp seed; upon this diet, when once acclimatised, it will 

 do very well, and, in all probability, reproduce its species in captivity, 

 which, indeed, it is stated, auctore Dr. Russ, to have done last year 

 in Germany. 



It is a strange fact that of two closely allied species, the less bril- 

 liantly coloured should be an inhabitant of £he warmer region; when, 

 as a rule, the birds of tropical, or sub-tropical latitudes are so much 

 more gorgeously apparelled than their congeners of more temperate 

 climes; for the Mealy Rosella is not, as a glance at the illustrations 

 will show, nearly as brightly coloured as the Rose-hill, which is found 

 in Tasmania as well as in the southern parts of the mainland, and it 

 would be curious to ascertain why this reversal of the usual order 

 should have taken place in the present instance; but the problem is 

 insoluble, unless we suppose that the great heat of Northern Australia 

 blanched the bright colours of the Rosella, and produced the pallid 

 bird which forms the subject of the present notice, which is not a very 

 probable hypothesis: can any one help us to another? 



We are inclined to think that the ordinary Rosella, the Pale-headed 

 and the Splendid variety (Platycercus splendidus) , which must not be 

 confounded with the Splendid Grass Parrakeet (JEJwphema splendida), 

 are not readily distinct species, but rather geographical variations of 

 the same; the first inhabiting the southern, the second the northern, 

 and the third the central portions of Australia; a supposition that might 

 very readily be put to the test by cross-pairing the several birds, and 

 noting whether their offspring were fruitful or otherwise : these experi- 

 ments, however, are outside the province of most ordinary connoisseurs, 

 and should be undertaken by the Zoological or Acclimatisation Societies, 

 who have the solving of so many interesting ornithological problems 

 in their power, if they would only undertake the task. 



The Pale-headed Rosella in captivity is dull and uninteresting when 

 kept by itself in a cage, and is not quite safe to be trusted with 

 Parrakeets smaller than itself in an aviary, so that on the whole it 

 will, perhaps, be as well for the aviarist not to meddle with it at all: 

 nevertheless, as the very difficulty of procuring and keeping a bird is, 

 in itself, a recommendation to some people, we doubt not that pur- 

 chasers will be found for it, even at the price of £2 10s. now asked 

 for a pair by the London dealers. 



