23 



PLOOD- OR 



^ED-^UMPED f§ARRAKEET. 



Psittacus kcematonotus, Russ. 



Synonyms: Psephotus hcematonotus, G-ld., Bp., etc.; Platycercus 



hcematonotus, Wgm., Gr., etc. Euphema hcematonotus, Mus, 



German: Der Singsittich. 



THIS extremely pretty and elegant Parrakeet, also known by the 

 name of Red-back, is rather less than the Cockatiel in size: its 

 general disposition, at least as far as our experience of the species 

 goes, is exceedingly unamiable, and we cannot recommend its being 

 kept with other Parrakeets : a pair, however, placed in a roomy aviary 

 by themselves, will very soon set about reproducing their species, and 

 succeed to admiration, which, as the bird is handsome, extremely lively, 

 hardy, and gifted with quite a musical voice, is a fact to be remem- 

 bered. 



The general colour of the plumage in the male is rich grass green, 

 with a blue reflection in certain lights, especially on the head and 

 face, the belly is yellow, the rump red, the shoulders blue, and the 

 tail dark bluish green; the colour of the beak is dark horn, the legs 

 and feet grey. 



The female is greyish green with a mottled appearance, arising from 

 the fact of each feather being margined with a narrow line of a deeper 

 shade of the general colour of the plumage, the shoulders are blue, 

 the tail has a deep shade of blue, and the rump is bright green. So 

 dissimilar are the sexes in appearance that they have been taken for 

 different species by some of the earlier writers on Australian Par- 

 rakeets. 



These birds breed as freely in captivity as the Budgerigar or the 

 Cockatiel, laying from three to five small eggs which the female 



