THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
It was figured by other early writers, and Kuhl, in 1820, records it as being 
in all the museums. 
Vigors and Horsfield give the following account : “ The bills of this 
species and the next ( chrysostomus Kuhl) are in a slight degree more rounded 
at the culmen than that of the typical species N. discolor , the wings are also 
somewhat less acuminated, and the tail flatter and more rounded at the apex. 
In these particulars it evinces a gradual approach to the next genus, Platycercus. 
The birds of this latter genus are observed to feed upon the ground ; and the 
two species now before us are generally found in a similar situation as we are 
informed by Mr. Caley. But they are not equally well adapted to the ground 
as the species of Platycercus , not having an equal length of tarsus , or the 
same shortness and roundness of wing. The gradual approach, however, of 
the two genera, both in characters and habits, is singularly conspicuous. Mr. 
Caley says of this species : “ The native name I have forgotten. The settlers 
call it Ground Parrot. It feeds upon the ground. Great care is required 
in taking off the skin, from its being particularly fine and thin, and readily 
torn. The crop is generally full of small grass-seeds ; and should it be cut 
or torn, so as to let these seeds out among the feathers, it is with difficulty 
they are got off again, from their having become glutinous in the stomach. 
The natives tell me it chiefly breeds in a stump of a small White Gum-tree , 
making no other nest than of the decayed parts of the tree. It has eight young 
ones. The eggs are white without spots.” Gould wrote : “ During my own 
rambles in that country (N.S.W.) my attention was constantly attracted by its 
beautiful outspread tail and wings as it rose before me. Its sole food being 
the seeds of grasses and of the smaller annuals, it spends much of its time 
on the ground and appears to evince a greater partiality for stony ridges 
than for the rich alluvial flats. When flushed it flies off to a short distance 
between the trees, perches on some dead branch and remains there until 
hunger impels it to return to the ground. I have never seen this bird 
congregated in large flocks like the Euphema chrysostoma and E. elegans , 
but usually met with it in small companies of six or eight in number.” North, 
in the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., No. 1, Vol. III., p. 163, 1911, wrote: “In 
former years this Grass Parrakeet was very common in the neighbourhood 
of Sydney, but the last specimen received by the Trustees of the Australian 
Museum was that of a young bird, procured by the late Mr. J. A. Thorpe, at 
Hornsby, in June, 1886. . . . It is a matter for regret that this Grass-Parrakeet 
has for many years past entirely disappeared from the neighbourhood of 
Sydney, for it is one of the most beautiful species of the genus Neophema , 
nor can I gain information of it occurring elsewhere in any numbers in 
other parts of the State.” Mr, Robert Grant’s note reads : “ The Chestnut- 
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