The Birds of Tasmania. 
223 
'■ tlic natiiii' of an cNpcrhiu'iil tlian a I'mislicil work of art: in captivity, 
" hi)\M.'\ cr, il will k'ani to wliistlc almost any luni.', and I was surprised 
" in llic liusli an escaped pet whistling' ' don't want to play in yum 
" \ard,' rci^artling' mc the while with a knowing expression." 
" Another very beautiful bird which haunts the lightly timbered 
" sandstone country and is even common in orchards, where it makes 
■' considerable dejiredations among the fruit, is the Rosella Parrakcet with 
" the head and breast of a brilliant scarlet. Nothing is more beautiful 
" than to see these birds dashing about in the sunlight from tree to tree; 
" the brilliant scarlet plumage appears to annoy some of the other birds, 
" and I have seen small flocks of Miners, inconspicuous grey birds of about 
" the size of a Mistle-thrusli, with yellow bills, belonging to the large 
" Australian family of the Meliphagidae or Honey-eaters, chasing a Rosella 
" Parrakeet with the greatest anger, though of course they were incapable 
" of doing it any hurt." 
Some years ago I kept a solitary specimen of the Soml)re 
Miner ( Manorhina obscnra) in an aviary occupied by 
Rosella Parrakeets, Cockateels, Budgerigars, Black-headed 
Sibias, Grey-winged Ouzels, three species of Cardinals and a 
Rosy Pastor. The Miner, though quite capable of looking 
after itself, never mobbed or interfered with any of the other 
birds, and in the aviary it certainly was not inconspicuous, but 
a very beautiful bird, though, of course, compared with the 
gorgeous avifauna of Australia it is inconspicuous and sombre. 
" Another brilli.mtly coloured bird, with red and blue plumage, 
'■ which I met only on Uruny Island (but it is, 1 believe, common elsewhere) 
" is the small Swift Parrakeet : this bird resorts in small flocks to the Gum- 
" trees when in flower and feeds on the honey. On the rather remote 
" sheep-runs flocks of the large Yellow-crested White Cockatoo may be 
seen. They are birds which always have sentinels to warn them of 
" approaching danger the stubbles are full of Quail. 
" Walking in the old walled orchard one is transported back to the home 
" counties of England, save that the blue wings of the Parrots dash in and 
" out among the trees and the metallic song of the native Magpie falls 
" upon the ear During my ramble about the mountain 
" (Mt. Wellington) I met with many Tasnianian birds, and some of the 
" more characteristic may be mentioned. In wandering through it will 
" at once strike the traveller from the home country how comparatively 
" tame the birds ;ire, probably owing to their less acciuaintance with 
" civilized man ;ind his exterminating propensities. Many of the birds, 
" which 1 will now mention are, of course, not confined to Mount Welling- 
" ton, but may l)e found all over the country wherever suitable conditions 
" prevail." 
" A great many of the Tasinanian species also occur on the mainland 
