THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Reference to Robert Brown’s Manuscript shows that the latter was obtained 
at King George’s Sound, “ Coll, by D. Bell, Surgeon,” and that it is the female 
of Gould’s elegans. 
Gould’s notes are still of interest : “ This bird is a summer resident in 
Tasmania, arriving in September, and departing again in February and March. 
During its sojourn it takes up its abode in such open and thinly timbered 
localities as are favourable for the growth of various kinds of grasses, upon the 
seeds of which it almost solely subsists. Among the places in which I observed 
it to be most abundant were Bruni Island, Sandby Bay, immediately adjoining 
Hobart Town, New Norfolk, Spring Hill in the interior, the banks of the Tamar, 
and on Flinders Island in Bass’s Straits. As a matter of course it is also 
found in Victoria, that country being in the direct line of its migration. The 
Bluebanded Grass Parrakeet is one of the most beautiful and interesting of the 
Psittacidce ; for whether perched on the small dead branches of a low bush, 
or resting upon the stronger grasses, there is grace and elegance in all its 
actions. It runs over the ground and threads its way among the grasses with 
the greatest facility, and the little flocks are usually so intent upon gathering 
the seeds, as to admit of your walking close up to them before they will rise ; the 
whole will then get up simultaneously, uttering a feeble cry and settling again 
at a short distance, or flying off to some thickly foliaged tree, where they sit 
for a time and again descend to the ground. The breeding season is at its 
height in October and November.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor wrote me : “ I have seen this parrot in Tasmania in 1906 
when I went to the Great Lake District, and on Dec. 10th I came across some 
of these birds at the foot of the Great Western Tiers in North-west Tasmania, 
and on the following day I shot several birds for my collection ; they were 
amongst the dead timber country and flying down on to a field of wheat and oats 
that were just coming into ear and eating the soft unripe grain from the husks.” 
Mr. Isaac Batey, on the birds of Victoria, twenty miles N.W. of Melbourne, 
stated (. Emu , Vol. VII., p. 12, 1907) : “ Generally to be found in a small party. 
This Parrakeet might be counted rare ; saw a few quite recently. Never knew 
it to nest in my part.” 
A long and careful account of the breeding of this species appeared in the 
Victorian Naturalist , Vol. XV., p. 64, 1898, which may be here given : “ This 
Parrakeet is very regular in timing its visit, from 14th to 21st September. Its 
first concern upon arrival is to find a suitable stump for nesting, the kind preferred 
being that about one foot in diameter and ten to twenty-two feet high, per- 
pendicular, and two to three feet of the top part hollow. This season (1897) 
I watched the operations of two pairs, and as their times of action were identical, 
a description of one will suffice : On 28th September, bird No. 1 commenced 
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