23 
LOOD- 
OR 
ED-MUMPED 
JgARRAKEET. 
Psittacus hcematonotus, Rttss. 
Synonyms: Psepliotus hcematonotus, Gld., Bp., etc. ; Platycercus 
hcematonotus, Wgm., Gb., etc. Euphema hcematonotus, Mus. 
German: Der Singsittich. 
T HIS extremely pretty and elegant Parrakeet, also known by the 
name of Red-back, is rather less than the Cockatiel in size: its 
general disposition, at least as far as our experience of the species 
goes, is exceedingly unamiable, and we cannot recommend its being 
kept with other Parrakeets : a pair, however, placed in a roomy aviary 
by themselves, will very soon set about reproducing their species, and 
succeed to admiration, which, as the bird is handsome, extremely lively, 
hardy, and gifted with quite a musical voice, is a fact to be remem- 
bered. 
The general colour of the plumage in the male is rich grass green, 
with a blue reflection in certain lights, especially on the head and 
face, the belly is yellow, the rump red, the shoulders blue, and the 
tail dark bluish green; the colour of the beak is dark horn, the legs 
and feet grey. 
The female is greyish green with a mottled appearance, arising from 
the fact of each feather being margined with a narrow line of a deeper 
shade of the general colour of the plumage, the shoulders are blue, 
the tail has a deep shade of blue, and the rump is bright green. So 
dissimilar are the sexes in appearance that they have been taken for 
different species by some of the earlier writers on Australian Par- 
rakeets. 
These birds breed as freely in captivity as the Budgerigar or the 
Cockatiel, laying from three to five small eggs which the female 
