PEZOPORUS FORMOSUS, wm. 
Ground Parrakeet. 
Psittacus formosus, Lath, Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 103.—Kuhl, Consp, Psitt. in Nova Acta, vol. x. p. 45. 
—_—— terrestris, Shaw, Mus. Lev., p. 217. pl. 53,—Ib. Zool. of New Holl., pl. 3.—Ib. Nat. Mise., pl. 228, 
Perruche ingambé, Le Vaill. Hist. Nat, des Perr., tom. i, p. 66. pl. 32. 
Black-spoited Parrakeet af Van Diemen’s Land, D’Entrecast. Voy., vol. ii. p. 47. pl. x. 
Ground Parrot, Lath, Gen, Syn., Supp, vol. il. p. 26.—Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. vill, p. 454, pl, &6.—Lath. Gen. 
Hist., vol. ii. p. 137. 
Pezoporus formosus, Ill. Prod., p. 201.—Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 285.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in 
Abhand., pp. 490 and 520.—Swaius. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 305.—G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd 
Edit., p. 66. 
rufifrons, Bour}. de St. Hil, Supp. to Le Vaill, Hist, Nat. des Perr., pl. 9. 
Boo-run-dur-dee, Aborigines northward of Perth in Western Australia. 
Djar-doon-qur-ree, Aborigines around Perth, 
Djul-bat-la, Aborigines southward of Perth. 
Ky-lof-ing, Aborigines of King George’s Sound. . 
Goolingnany, Aborigines near Sydney, New South Wales. 
Swamp Parrakeet, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land. 
Ground Parrakect, Colonists of New South Wales and Western Australia. 
Tur Ground Parrakeet is diffused over the whole of the southern portions of Australia, including Van Die- 
men’s Land, wherever localities exist suitable to its habits, and so far as I could learn, it is everywhere a 
stationary species. It has never been observed in the northern latitudes of the continent, but our know- 
ledge of the productions of those parts of Australia is so very imperfect, that I cannot positively affirm that 
it does not exist there. Unlike some of the African members of its family, which are inelegant in form and 
slow and ungraceful im their actions, the Pezoporus formosus is as active and graceful as can well be 
imagined ; and although in its colouring it cannot vie with some of its more gaudily attired brethren, it 
possesses a style of plumage and diversity of markings far from unpleasing. Having very frequently 
encountered it in a state of nature, Iam enabled to state that in its actions it differs from every other known 
species of its race, as it also does in its habits and economy, which I shall now attempt to describe. 
Whether the power of perching 1s entirely denied to it or not Iam 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. It is generally observed either singly or in pairs, but 
from its very recluse habits and great powers of running it is seldom or ever seen until if ts flushed, and 
then only for a short time, as it soon pitches again and runs off to a place of seclusion, often under the 
covert of the Grass-tree (Nanthorrhea), which abounds in the districts it frequents. A striking analogy 
in the foregoing habits to those of the Gallinacez and some of the Grallatores,—Snipes, &c., is very ap- 
parent ; and a still further analogy to those tribes of birds is exhibited in the manner of its crouching on 
ihe approach of danger and in the strong scent it emits, which has many times caused my dogs to road tt, 
and point as dead as they would have done had game been before them ; consequently, when. shooting over 
swampy land m Australia, the sportsman ts never certain whether a parrakeet or a snipe will rise to the 
port of his dow. It flies near the ground with great rapidity, frequently makmg several zigzag turns in the 
short distaneesat a hundred yards, beyond which it seldom passes withont again pitching to the ground. 
Its flesh is excellent, being much more delicate in flavour than that of the snipe, and equalling, if not sur- 
passing, that of the quail. Its white eggs, the number of which I could not ascertain, are deposited on ike 
hare ground. I possess examples of the young of all ages, from the egg to maturity, some killed in Van 
Diemen’s Land, and others from various parts of Australia; I also procured both adults and young on 
linders’ Island, where I found them breeding on the grassy plains which cover the greater portion of that 
island. The young assume the colouring of the adult at a very early age, but the sexes offer no external 
difference by which they can be distinguished. , | 
Plumave of the whole of the upper surface dark grass-green, eacl: feather crossed by irregular bands of 
black and yellow ; feathers of the crown and nape with a broad Streak of black down the centre ; forehead 
scarlet: neck and breast pale yellowish green, passing info bright greenish ‘yellow on the abdomen and 
under tail-coverts, crossed by numerous irregular wayed blackish bands ; primaxies and spurious wings 
ereen on their outer webs and dark brown on the inner, each of the latter with a triangular spot of pale 
; the base ; four centre tail-feathers green, crossed by numerous narrow bars of yellow ; lateral 
yellow near } + ; : “Pe 
; cllow, crossed by numerous bars of deep green ; irides black with a fine ring of light grey ; 
> pln . > 
tail-feathers y 
feet and legs bluish flesh-colour. 
The figures are of the natural size, 
