107 
OURKE’S 5aRRAKEET. 
Psittaciis Bourki, Russ. 
Synonyms: Eiiphema BourhU, Gld.j Platycercus Bourki, Fnsch. 
German: Bar Bourksittich. 
HIS most charming Parrakeet was discovered by the late John 
I Gould, F.R.S., in the interior of New South Wales, where it is 
far from common, and was named by him after Governor Bourke of 
that colony. 
It is a small bird, in size between the Budgerigar and the Tur- 
quoisine, very gentle and inoffensive, and extremely pretty. Like the 
Budgerigar, it is waved, or undulated, but on a pale salmon instead 
of a yellow ground, the forehead, the tops of the shoulders and the 
sides are blue, the beak is black, and the feet brownish grey: a small 
white ring surrounds the eyes, which are full and dark. 
The female resembles her mate, but is without the blue frontlet, 
which serves as a differentiating mark between the sexes: the young 
resemble their mother. These beautiful birds are said to have been 
bred in Germany, while in this country the nearest approach to success 
that has been chronicled is the production of eggs; but as they are 
fairly hardy birds, amateurs should live in hopes of ultimately getting 
them to reproduce their species here. 
Dr. Russ writes respecting the Bourke, “1st durchaus nicht weicMich 
und nistet ehensowol im Kdjige als auch in der Vogelstuhe unschwer und 
sicker”, (It is by no means delicate, and nests as well and readily in 
the Cage as in the Bird-room.) 
As it is rarely imported, the Bourke commands a high price, £10 
being the sum usually demanded by the dealers for a couple of these 
birds; and we are not aware of any aviary-bred specimens having been 
offered in the market; so that to breed a few of them would be a 
very lucrative speculation; but they are as rare almost as a Phoenix, 
