The food upon which the Platycerotuflaviventria chiefly subsists is grass seed, but it has no objection to 
-urn blossoms, insects and their larva*, or cereals. For the last it has a constantly-increasing partiality, so much 
so that this charming Parrakeet has ceased to be beautiful in the agriculturalist's eyes, who regards it as 
;i ver\ pest during the season of sowing and harvest. In consequence of these omnivorous tastes, it is 
to be found equally on open cleared lands, or the hills and gullies of retired forests, and passes rapidly from 
one to the other, or to distant districts, hy means of its strong powers of flight performed in wide undulating 
sweeps, if food should grow scarce. 
I'Yoin the nature of their food, most of the Psil lacidd' are good and even delicate eating ; though the 
exoeUenoe of the flesh varies with the season of the year, just as in other birds, and this particular species is 
generally admitted to carry oil* the palm before all others for the delicacy, tenderness, and good flavour of its flesh ; 
so that in districts where it is plentiful, it is a staple article of food to the settlers. 
Nidification takes place in September, and the eggs are deposited in a hollow gum tree ; the number of 
egu's ranges from six to eight, one inch two lines long by eleven lines wide; and incubation is carried on till 
December. The young when hatched are covered with a fine white down, which makes them look like balls of 
cotton wool. 
During the first year the sexes are alike, being generally of a greenish-olive, with a slight tinge of blue 
on the cheeks, wings, and outer tail feathers, and a faint red mark on the forehead. In full maturity, the male 
is larger and more brilliantly coloured than the female. Forehead, crimson ; top of head and back of neck, pale 
greeny-yellow, each feather slightly tipped with brown; space under the eye, slightly tinged with crimson; 
cluck-, dull blue; breast and under surfaces, yellow, each feather margined with blue; scapularies and back, 
dark olive-green in the high lights, and black in the shadows, tipped with green; middle of wing, pale blue; 
primaries, darker blue at base and ending in brown; upper tail coverts and two middle tail feathers, green ; the 
rest dark blue, growing lighter towards the tips; irides, brown ; bill, flesh-colour ; feet, grey. 
Habitats : South Australia, Tasmania. 
