constitute its food. It breeds during August and the four following months, and often rears two or more 
broods ; the eggs are white and two in number, one inch and three-eighths long and one inch hroad. 
Its nest, which is very similar to that of .the other members of the family, is a frail structure of small twigs, 
rather hollow in form, and is usually placed on the horizontal branch of an apple- or gum-tree near the 
ground, those trees growing on flat meadow land near water being evidently preferred. This species is very 
frequently seen in confinement, both in its native country and in England, but I have not heard whether it 
will or will not breed in captivity. At Swan River it is said to be migratory, and to be met with in the 
interior of that part of the country in large flocks. At Port Essington, on the contrary, it would seem 
to be stationary, as Mr. Gilbert mentions that it is found equally abundant in all parts of the country ; its 
nest is there placed upon the branches of the Banksias. 
Forehead in some deep buff, in others buffy white ; line under the eye and the chin yellowish white ; 
crown of the head and occiput dark brown, bounded on the sides with plum-colour ; sides of the neck grey ; 
back of the neck and all the upper surface brown, each feather margined with tawny brown ; wings brown 
with paler edges ; each of the coverts with an oblong spot of rich lustrous coppery bronze on the outer 
web near the base, the outline of which towards the extremity of the feather is sharply defined ; tip of 
each of the coverts grey fading into white on the extreme tip ; two or three of the tertiaries with an 
oblong spot of lustrous green on their outer webs at the base, bounded by a narrow line of bulf ; two centre 
tail-feathers brown ; the remainder deep grey, crossed by a band of black near the tip ; under surface of 
the wing and inner edges of the primaries and secondaries ferruginous ; breast deep vinaceous, passing into 
greyish on the centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; irides dark reddish brown ; bill blackish grey ; 
legs and feet carmine-red. 
The figures represent the male and female of the natural size, the latter in the agonies of death from a 
shot-wound. 
