21 
Psittacus hcematog aster, Russ. 
Synonyms: Psephotus hcematog aster, Gld.; 
Platycercus hcematog aster, Ensch.; Etvphema hcematog aster. 
German : Ber Blutbauchsittich. 
HIS handsome bird is a native of New South Wales, but is not 
X very frequently seen there, and is of comparatively rare occur- 
rence in England, and rarer still on the continent. “ Bimer dev aller- 
seltensten”, says Dr. Russ, who quotes its price at ninety marks, “und 
daruber fur die Prch.” : that is, £4 10s. and upwards for the pair. 
The greyish white beak is surrounded by a blue mask, of a deeper 
shade on the forehead than on the throat; the back, wing coverts 
and breast are yellowish grey, the sides of the wings and the tail blue; 
the sides and under tail coverts, yellow, and the abdomen bright red. 
The female is coloured like the male, but the shades of her dress 
are duller than his. 
Some diversity of opinion exists as to the merits and qualifications 
of this bird as a qage pet: Mr. Wiener writing of it says: “I do not 
know a more pleasing Parrakeet than the Blue Bonnet, whom I used 
to consider the clown of a collection of Parrakeets I had at one time. 
A pair of these birds used to play together like kittens, rolling over 
and over in the sand, or sitting on the perches and cawing* to each 
other in the most amusing manner. Whenever their cage was fresh 
sanded, they picked out all the small stones, and cleverly arranged 
them in a row on a ledge in their cage. This rare Parrakeet is pro- 
bably one of the most intelligent of all the Australian Parrots, although 
I have not heard that any have learned to talk, nor do any appear 
to have been bred.” 
Mr. A. Johnson, of St. Olave’s Grammar School, writing in The 
Bazaar of 21st. March, says, “These birds (Blue Bonnets), which Dr. 
Russ describes as among the rarest imported, have of late been seen 
rather more frequently. They are certainly the hardiest of the Parrot 
