SCARLET-CHESTED GRASS PARROT. 
Immature (almost adult) male has the fore-neck and breast green with the deep red feathers 
showing through. The rest of the colours even duller than in the female. 
Nest. A hole in a tree. 
Eggs. Clutch, four. White. Nearly round in form, the texture of the shell being very 
fine, and nearly lustreless. 23 mm. by 19 (North). 
Breeding-season. September (White). 
Still more sorrowful is the story of this “ splendid ” little Parrakeet. Gould’s 
history : “ It is a source of much regret to me, that I am unable to give 
more than a very slight notice of this beautiful bird. The specimen from 
which my description was taken came into my possession in 1840, unfortunately 
without any other information accompanying it than that it was a native 
of Swan River ; from that period no other example occurred until 1845, 
when several were transmitted to me by the late Johnson Drummond, who 
had killed them near Moore’s River in Western Australia. Captain Sturt 
obtained a male during one of his journeys into the interior of South 
Australia. Mr. J. Gardner informs me that he has procured examples in the 
Murray scrub near the north-west band of that river, and has been told that 
it is found in the country bordering the head of St. Vincent’s Gulf ; he adds 
that it is of a very shy disposition and nowhere very numerous.” 
In the Appendix to the Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds , Vol. II., p. 1081, 1901, 
Campbell described the eggs of the species, writing : “ During a recent trip 
to Adelaide, when looking over the collection of my venerable friend, Mr. 
William White, the pair of eggs (above described) dated 29th September 
1863 attracted my attention. As they are now the type eggs, as far as I am 
aware, their history, given to me by their discoverer, may be interesting. 
Mr. White was in the company of Mr. J. Taylor, of Pudnookna Station, 
River Murray, South Australia, and when stock hunting to the north-east of 
the station, flushed a splendid Scarlet -chested Grass Parrakeet from a hole 
in a mallee-tree. Mr. White being desirous of securing one of the parents 
as well as the eggs, he left, and returned again when the bird was sitting. 
Binding his handkerchief to the end of a long stick, he placed it over the 
hole. Then his companion held the stick while he ascended the smooth 
tree by the aid of a notched stick placed against it and secured the bird 
(a female) and two eggs. There were four eggs in the nesting hole but 
unfortunately two were broken while Mr. White was awkwardly clinging to 
the smooth stem taking them. The bird lived in Mr. White’s aviary for 
several years, but was always solitary and shy. Mr. White says this was also 
his experience of the bird in the bush. They were seen singly or in pairs in 
the most scrubby localities, often far from water. Like the rest of the 
family, the male has a very feeble, rippling call.” 
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