THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
under tail-coverts dull white, the latter very slightly tinged with blue ; axillaries 
and under wing-coverts deep ultramarine-blue, the greater series of the latter and 
quill-lining dark brown ; lower aspect of tail pale brown with long pale tips to 
the outer feathers. Bill bluish-horn ; eyes light brown ; feet dark grey. Total 
length 280 mm. ; culmen 13, wing 138, tail 160, tarsus 15. Figured. Collected 
at Manilla, New South Wales, in September, 1909. 
Adult female. Differs entirely from the adult male described in having the head, hind- 
neck, back, scapulars, and inner upper wing-coverts olive-green becoming more 
grey on the sides of the face, throat, and breast, the last tinged with yellowish- 
green and fading into very pale blue on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; the 
small coverts round the bend of the wing above turquoise-blue ; outer aspect of 
wing dull blue, inner-webs of flight-quills dark brown with an ovate spot of white ; 
rump green ; tail-feathers similar to those of the male. Bill horn, eyes hazel, 
feet slate, wing 120. Figured. Collected at SandmeTe, Victoria, on the 4th of 
February, 1913. 
Nest. A hole in a tree. 
Eggs. Clutch 4 to 7. White. 23-26 mm. by 19. 
Breeding-months. September to November. 
The small Parrakeets constitute one of the most pleasing series of birds that 
are accredited to Gould. This one is the largest and was the first to attract 
Gould by its generic features and hence he constituted the genus Psephotus. 
His notes are full and are here repeated : “ This species inhabits the interior 
of the south-eastern division of the Australian continent ; it is abundantly 
dispersed over the Liverpool Plains, and all the open country to the Northward 
as far as it has yet been explored ; it also inhabits similar tracts of country in 
Victoria and South Australia ; on the plains around Adelaide it is seldom seen, 
but as the traveller advances towards the interior every succeeding mile brings 
him in contact with it in greater numbers. It is more frequently seen on the 
ground than among the trees ; and it evidently gives a decided preference to 
open grassy valleys and the naked crowns of hills, rather than to the wide and 
almost boundless plain. During winter it associates in flocks, varying from 
twenty to a hundred in number, which trip nimbly over the ground in search of 
the seeds of grasses and other plants, with which the crops of many that were 
shot were found to be distended. In the early morning, and not unfrequently 
in other parts of the day, I have often seen hundreds perched together on some 
leafless limb of a Eucalyptus , sitting in close order along the whole length of the 
branch, until hunger prompted them to descend to the feeding ground, or the 
approach of a hawk caused them to disperse. Their movements on the ground 
are characterized by much grace and activity, and although assembled in one 
great mass running over the ground like Plovers, they are generally mated in 
pairs, a fact easily ascertained by the difference in the colouring of the sexes ; 
the rich red mark on the rump of the male appearing, as the bright sun shines 
upon it, like a spot of fire. 
396 
