THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
It was at once recognised and is not burdened with many names, three 
others being given about the same time (1810-11) by Perry, Shaw and Bechstein, 
viz., nonpareil, capitatus and omnicolor respectively. 
Caley’s notes, reproduced by Vigors and Horsfield, read : “ Rosehill Parrot 
So-called from the name of the settlement afterwards known by the name of 
Paramatta. The native name of the bird is Bundullock. The natives inform 
me it always breeds in dead trees, chiefly on farms, making its nest with feathers 
in the body of the hollow tree. To whatever depth the tree may be hollow, 
the bird always descends to the bottom, like an Opossum. Its nest is found by 
watching the old bird ; and sometimes by hearing the young ones in the hollow 
of the tree on passing by. It has six young ones : the eggs are white without 
spots. It may frequently be seen in small flocks along with the King’s Parrot 
(PI. scapulatus) and the Lory (PI. pennantii) in fields of Indian Corn ; but I 
never recollect it taking the corn from the stalk like the other two birds, and 
I suspect it only picks up what the others throw to the ground. I have seen 
the most of this species on new-sown wheat early in the morning ; but never 
in large flocks. I do not recollect ever to have seen the King’s Parrot or Lory 
pulling up the young wheat like this bird. All three species are caught in 
traps. They are very good eating. The King’s and Rosehill Parrots are the 
most valuable for selling to ships to take to England. The latter species 
(eximius) frequents Van Diemen’s Land. I do not know whether the Lory 
does so, but I remember shooting that species at Western Port, on the opposite 
side of the strait.” 
Gould’s observations I also reproduce : “ Although the Rose-hill Parrakeet 
is one of the commonest birds of New South Wales and Tasmania, it is very 
local, a river frequently constituting the boundary of its habitat, over which 
it so rarely passes, that I never saw the bird on the south side of the Derwent ; 
while in the forests of the opposite shore, not more than a quarter or half a 
mile distant, it was very numerous. I believe it is never seen in the forests 
clothing the borders of D’Entrecasteaux’ Channel on the south, or of the River 
Tamar on the north of the island, those districts being inhabited by the 
Platycercus flaviventris , whose greater size and olive-green plumage are in 
beautiful accordance with those vast and but little explored forests of evergreen 
Eucalypti. The Platycercus eximius resorts to the open parts of the country, 
undulating grassy hills and plains bordered and studded here and there with 
large trees or belts of low acacias or banksias, among the branches of which, 
particularly those of the acacias, this beautiful bird may be seen in small 
companies, the rich scarlet and yellow of their breasts vieing with the lovely 
blossoms of the trees ; in a word, districts of a sandy nature, small plains, open 
spots among the hills, and thinly timbered country where grass abounds, 
354 
