THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Australia). Evidently the locality has been a favourite nesting-place for 
these lorikeets, as the word ‘ Cowaramup ’ signifies, in the language of the 
south west aborigines, ‘ the resort of the Cowara,’ c Cowara ’ meaning the 
4 Purple-crowned Lorikeet.’ ” 
ML E. B. Nicholls, writing about “A Trip to the West” in the Emu, 
Vol. V., p. 79, 1905, noted : Later on, in the month of May, when a fine 
clump of transplanted Tasmanian blue gums burst into early blossom, a flock 
of the Purple-crowned Lorikeets ( Glossopsittacus porphyrocephalus), with that 
unerring instinct which we cannot explain, found them out the following day, 
and continued their visits every morning for some weeks. These Lorikeets, 
rather scarce in Victoria, fly in flocks of twenty or so, though sometimes they 
collect in hundreds. I often met with them whilst walking through the bush, 
and noticed a peculiarity. If you fire a gun or shout out loudly the whole flock 
dart towards the ground like a flash, and fly with amazing speed only a few 
feet above the grass. The aborigines, taking advantage of that peculiarity, 
used to build a sort of brush fence, whitewashing it with the pipeclay mixture 
they used in their corroborees. When the birds passed overhead, the blacks 
raised a great clamour, and the panic-stricken Parrots, dropping to earth, flew 
into the brush and were caught in hundreds. Round about Albany the boys 
often frighten them into wire-netting in the same way.” 
Shortridge’s note [Ibis 1910, p. 165) reads : “ The Purple-crowned 
Lorikeet is gregarious and was very plentiful throughout the central and 
south-western divisions (W.A.). It was generally seen feeding among the 
flowers of the Eucalyptus trees, and its flight is very swift.” 
Capt. S. A. White, in the Emu , Vol. XII., p. 5, 1912, states that on Eyre 
Peninsula “ Glossopsittacus porphyriocephalus were found nesting in great 
numbers. Voung, covered more or less in grey down, observed. Eggs, 
varied from two to four ; placed on the bare wood.” 
Mr. F. E. Wilson in the same volume, p. 31, added, regarding the Mallee 
of North-west Victoria : “ Wherever there was a patch of big mallee euca- 
lyptus, there these birds were nesting in flocks, every available hole being 
utilized as a nesting-site. Nests containing every stage from the first egg to 
the chick ready to leave the hollow were found. The nestlings when newly 
hatched are covered with a whitish down, and the nesting hollow containing 
them on being opened smells very strongly of honey. Sometimes the egg 
cavity would be close to the entrance, while at other times it would be at the 
bottom of the tree, 15 or 20 feet below. Around these nesting areas was a 
scene of constant activity, the parent birds continually setting out for and 
returning from the feeding grounds.” 
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