THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
adult bird there. The forest Lories seem to have much richer plumage than 
those on the plains. Breeding.” 
G. F. Hill, in the same Journal, Vol. VII., p. 22, 1907, noted: “This 
species is also numerous here (Ararat District, Victoria), but I took but one 
egg during the eight years over which these notes extend. It was remarked 
that only birds of mature plumage were seen in the mountains, but on the 
lower country both those of mature and immature plumage were found, 
though generally not in the same flocks. This peculiarity was also noticed 
by my brother in the Nagabmie district (Goulburn Valley).” 
Mr. Isaac Batey (same volume, p. 96) added: “As far back as can be 
remembered this bird was called the “ Lory.” I can remember it on the Plenty 
River, where my father was overseer to Mr. E. T. Flintoff on what is now 
Oldstead, near Greensborough. It was about the year 1843 that I saw 
Mr. Batey throw a stick at a flock of these Parrots, either on a newly-sown 
paddock or alongside of cornstalks. It is highly probable that they are not 
to be found there now. P. elegans is one of those birds that has been pushed 
back by settlement — not a matter to be wondered at, because, as far as my 
observation has gone, it displays a partiality for thickly timbered tracts. In 
passing through a large extent of the Black Forest, near Mt. Macedon (though 
all useful timber is cut down, in parts it is dense enough to this day, owing to 
the fact of natural replacement), where real forest gloom prevails, if a Parrot 
is to be seen it is bound to be P. elegans. Herein it differs from the Rosella, 
a creature that may be termed a bird of sunshine, seeing that it has a leaning 
towards open forest country. By the way, one year, near Lancefield, season 
now forgotten, some Crimson Parrakeets were feeding in eucalypts, which to 
the best of my recollection were not in flower. One or two birds were knocked 
over, and when cooked were unpleasant eating — rather a surprise to me, 
because at other times I had found them as good as Rosellas.” 
The next subspecies is well marked owing to its paler coloration : it was 
specifically separated by Gould and has been so treated since, though the notes 
hereafter given will show the doubt in most worker’s minds as to the specific 
validity. Gould named it Platycercus adelaidce from South Australia only, and 
later wrote: “ This beautiful Platycercus is a native of South Australia, and from 
the circumstance of my having procured some of my finest specimens in the very 
streets of the city of Adelaide, I have been induced to give it the specific name 
of adelaidensis. In all probability the bird may in a few years be looked for 
in vain even in the suburbs of this rapidly increasing settlement, as it is too 
large a species, and possesses too many attractions to remain unmolested ; 
indeed it was much persecuted and destroyed by the newly arrived emigrants 
at the time I paid this distant land a visit. The Platycercus adelaidensis at 
310 
