THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
eeems to have been forwarded by some settler of the first colonists. Neither 
Phillip, White nor Hunter record it, but Latham described it in 1790 and it 
was figured in the Leverian Museum in 1793. About this time it was met 
with by the French voyageurs in Tasmania, where also it was not uncommon. 
In 1820 Kuhl, having visited most of the museums in Europe (western), 
examining the Parrots for his Monograph, wrote : “In Museo Temminlciano, 
Rayano Amstelodamensi , Berolinensi et omnibus Anglice museis ; in Mus. 
Parisiensi 2 (e terra de Diemen) in Laugieriano , Groningano . — Londini eum 
vivum vidi.” 
When Vigors and Horsfield catalogued the birds in the collection of the 
Linnean Society of London they observed : “ There was no specimen of this 
species in the collection brought to this country by Mr. Caley. That gentleman, 
however, makes the following reference to this bird, when speaking of the 
N . pulchellus : ‘ What is called the Ground Parrot at Sydney inhabits the 
scrubs in that neighbourhood. I have also seen it in similar situations else- 
where. I have never seen it except on the wing ; it having started up before 
me, taking a short flight, and alighting among the bushes, but never to my 
knowledge upon them. 5 Our specimen was obtained by Mr. Brown at Port 
Phillip, January 25th, 1804.” 
Although there are no paintings of this species among the Watling 
drawings preserved in the British Museum, the manuscript catalogue attached 
makes reference to such having been made. From the above it seems certain 
that it must have been comparatively common throughout eastern Australia 
and Tasmania about the end of the eighteenth century. It is very possible 
that it was equally common in South and West Australia, but we have no 
early records, while it appears to have been generally more or less confined 
to the coastal districts. 
Gould’s observations do not apply to-day. “ The Ground Parrakeet 
is diffused over the whole of the southern portions of Australia, including 
Tasmania, wherever localities exist suitable to its habits. I also procured 
both adults and young on Flinders Island, where I found them breeding on 
the grassy plains which cover the greater portion of that island. So far as 
I could learn, it is everywhere a stationary species. Having very frequently 
met with it in a state of nature, I am enabled to state that in its actions it 
differs from every other known species of its family. Whether the power 
of perching is entirely denied to it or not I am uncertain, but I never saw it 
fly into a tree, nor could I ever force it to take shelter on the branches. It 
usually frequents either sandy sterile districts covered with tufts of rank 
grass and herbage, or low swampy flats abounding with rushes and the other 
kinds of vegetation peculiar to such situations. From its very recluse habits 
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