PARROTS OF THE OPEN FOREST AND SCRUB-LANDS 
Hh 
7. Blue Bonnet Psephotus hce.matogastcr Gould 
hce-mat-o-gas'-ter— Gk, haima, haimatos, blood; Gk, g aster, belly. 
distribution. Inland flora southern Queensland to Victoria, and 
South Australia. 
notes. Also called Crimson-bellied Parrot, Yellow-vented Parakeet, 
and Bulloak Parrot. Usually in pairs or small flocks, inhabiting 
timber bordering watercourses and open country dotted with scrub. 
It is generally observed feeding on the ground and is by no means shy; 
when flushea it flies to a nearby tree. Food: seeds of grasses and her¬ 
baceous plants. 
nest. In a hollow limb or hole in a tree. 
eggs. Three to seven, white. Breeding-season: August to December. 
8. Cockatiel Leptolophus hollandicus Kerr 
Lep'-to-loph'-us— Gk, leptos , delicate; Gk, lophos, crest: hollandicus— of 
(New) Holland. 
distribution. Interior of Australia generally; accidental to Tas¬ 
mania. 
notes. Also called Quarrian and Cockatoo Parrot. Usually in pairs 
or flocks, inhabiting timber bordering watercourses and open country 
dotted with scrub. It appears to be nomadic in habits, its movements 
being regulated by the supply of food. It is generally seen on the 
ground searching for food, and, when disturbed, usually flies to a 
dead tree. It has a pleasant chattering note. Food: seeds of grasses and 
herbaceous plants. The female is duller in colouring than the male and 
differs in having the tail barred. 
nest. In a hollow limb, a hole in a tree, or in a stump. Mostly rather 
large holes in dead trees are selected. 
eggs. Four to seven, white. Breeding-season: August to December. 
9. Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius Shaw 
Plat-y-cerc'-us— Gk, platys, flat; Gk, cercos , tail: ex-im'-i-us— L., eximius , 
excellent. 
distribution. From southern Queensland to Victoria to South 
Australia (Adelaide Hills), and Tasmania. 
notes. Also called Rosella, Rosehill Parakeet, and Nonpareil Parrot. 
Usually in pairs or flocks, inhabiting open forest country and partly 
cleared lands. It spends much of its time on the ground in search of 
seeds of grasses, which, with wild fruits and berries, constitute its 
normal food. It is destructive in orchards and cultivation paddocks to 
such an extent that it is considered a pest. When disturbed, it flies 
to a nearby tree; its flight is short and undulating; its call is a pleasant 
whistling note. 
nest. In a hollow limb or hole in a tree. 
eggs. Four to nine, white. Breeding-season: September to January. 
