THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
connection with his quotations, he simply overlooked the fact that elegans 
had priority. 
It may be noted that White in his Journ. Voy ., New South Wales , 1790, 
also gave plates, opp. pp. 174 and 175, of the Pennantian Parrot. 
Vigors and Horsfield quoted Caley’s observations which I here reproduce 
as being one of the earliest notes on the habits of the species: “ This species,” 
says Mr. Caley, “ is called by the natives Dulang , and Julang. Like the 
King’s Parrot {PI. scapulatus), it is found in large flocks among the ripe Indian 
com, both species being intermixed. It varies much in colour ; but as the 
greater part of the flock is of the colour of the female, it may almost be taken 
for granted that they are young birds. The natives tell me it makes its nest 
chiefly in the Peppermint tree [Eucalyptus piperita ), always in the body, but 
never in the boughs. Sometimes it enlarges the hole through which it enters. 
Year after year the same place is frequented for the purposes of incubation. 
It makes no nest but from the decayed parts of the tree. It has four young 
ones. The eggs are white. I have met with this bird in November in the 
most mountainous parts of the country ; but I apprehend it leaves these 
parts in the winter.” 
Gould wrote : “ This beautiful bird is very generally dispersed over New 
South Wales, where it frequents grassy hills and brushes, particularly those of 
the Liverpool range and all similar districts ; it also inhabits Kangaroo Island, 
but I never met with it in the belts of the Murray, or in any of the forests 
round Adelaide, in which part of the country the Platycercus adelaidensis occurs 
abundantly. Its food consists of berries and the seeds of various grasses, to 
which insects and caterpillars are occasionally added, and to obtain which 
it descends to the bases of the hills and to open glades in the forests ; I have 
often flushed it from such situations ; and when six or eight rose together 
with outspread tails of beautiful pale blue, offering a decided contrast to the 
rich scarlet livery of the body, I never failed to pause and admire the splendour 
of their appearance, of which no description can give an adequate idea ; the 
Platycerci must, in fact, be seen in their native wilds before their beautiful 
appearance can be appreciated, or the interesting nature of their habits at all 
understood. Like the other members of the genus, the Platycercus pennantii 
runs rapidly over the ground, but its flight is not enduring. ... It breeds in the 
holes of the large gum-trees, generally selecting those on the hill-sides within 
the bushes ; of which situations, the cedar bushes of the Liverpool range 
appear to be a favourite.” 
I find I have no notes on the typical form, probably in this case because it 
is a common bird. North in the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., No. 1, Vol. III., 
states : “ I found this species extremely common in the heavily timber-clad 
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