18 



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PAUER'S IgARRAKEET. 



Psittacus Zonarius. 



Synonyms: Psittacus viridis, (!) Platycercus Baueri, P. cyanomelas, 



P. zonarius, etc. 



Fkench : Perruche de Bauer. German: Der Ringsittich. 



THIS handsome Broadtail has a number of aliases, and is called, 

 amongst other appellations, The Port Lincoln Parrakeet, the 

 Zoned Barnardius, and other equally fanciful designations;* by Gould 

 it is named Bauer's Parrakeet, and this designation we have thought 

 it best to adopt in these pages, as in addition to the authority of 

 the author of "The Birds of Australia", that of Vigors and Horsfield 

 may be cited in support of it. 



It is a trifle larger than the Eosella, but not as large as Pennant's 

 Broadtail. The plate gives a good idea of the colouring, which we 

 need not stop to particularise; merely remarking that it bears a great 

 resemblance to another species of the same sub -family, the Platycercus 

 semitorquatus of Gould ; from which, however, it is readily distinguished 

 by the red circlet above the upper mandible in the latter species. 



In captivity this Parrakeet has, in our experience, but little to 

 recommend it to the notice of amateurs; for in a cage it is dull and 

 listless, and is not to be trusted in the aviary with companions 

 weaker and more defenceless than itself. It never learns to speak, 

 as far as the writer of these pages is aware, and though its voice is 

 not often exerted to its utmost power, the bird takes fits of screaming 

 now and then. 



In a large aviary, however, this disagreeable trait in its character is 

 not so noticeable as it must be in the house, and if it has no 

 companions it can bully, even to death, Bauer will get on very well 

 in an out-door avairy of large size; in which, needless to remark, it 

 would not permit any tree or shrub to live very long, seeing that it 

 is as great a whittler as the rest of its family. 



