21 



flLUE floNNET fgARRAKEET. 



Psittaeus hcematog aster, Euss. 



Synonyms: Psephotus hcematog aster, G-ld.; 



Platycercus hcematog aster, Fnsch.; Euphema hcematog aster. 



German: Der Blutbauchsittich. 



THIS handsome bird is a native of New South Wales, but is not 

 very frequently seen there, and is of comparatively rare occur- 

 ' rence in England, and rarer still on the continent. "Wrier der aller- 

 seltensten" , says Dr. Russ, who quotes its price at ninety marks, "unci 

 claruber fur die Prch." : that is, £4 10s. and upwards for the pair. 



The greyish white beak is surrounded by a blue mask, of a deeper 

 shade on the forehead than on the throat; the back, wing coverts 

 and breast are yellowish grey, the sides of the wings and the tail blue; 

 the sides and under tail coverts, yellow, and the abdomen bright red. 



The female is coloured like the male, but the shades of her dress 

 are duller than his. 



Some diversity of opinion exists as to the merits and qualifications 

 of this bird as a cage pet: Mr. Wiener writing of it says: "I do not 

 know a more pleasing Parrakeet than the Blue Bonnet, whom I used 

 to consider the clown of a collection of Parrakeets I had at one time. 

 A pair of these birds used to play together like kittens, rolling over 

 and over in the sand, or sitting on the perches and cawing to each 

 other in the most amusing manner. Whenever their cage was fresh 

 sanded, they picked out all the small stones, and cleverly arranged 

 them in a row on a ledge in their cage. This rare Parrakeet is pro- 

 bably one of the most intelligent of all the Australian Parrots, although 

 I have not heard that any have learned to talk, nor do any appear 

 to have been bred.-" 



Mr. A. Johnson, of St. Olave's Grammar School, writing in The 

 Bazaar of 21st. March, says, "These birds (Blue Bonnets), which Dr. 

 Russ describes as among the rarest imported, have of late been seen 

 rather more frequently. They are certainly the hardiest of the Parrot 



