Part 5

The colouring of the sexes when fully adult is alike, but much variation exists between youth and maturity; during the first autumn the young birds are clothed in a plumage of a nearly uniform green; to this succeeds a parti-coloured livery of scarlet, blue and green, which colouring is continually changing until the full plumage of maturity is assumed; and hence has arisen no little confusion respecting this species in the writings of the older ornithologists, and it is not to be wondered at that its synonyms are so numerous.

The adult male has the head, neck, all the under surface, the rump and upper tail-coverts rich deep crimson-red; the feathers of the back and scapularies black, broadly margined with rich crimson-red; the cheeks and shoulders cœrulean blue; the greater wing-coverts pale blue; the primaries and secondaries black, with the basal half of their external webs margined with deep blue; the two centre tail-feathers green, passing into blue on their margins and at the tip; the remainder black on the inner webs for three-fourths of their length; deep blue for nearly the same length on their outer webs, and largely tipped on both webs with pale blue, which becomes still paler to the tips of the feathers; bill horn-colour; irides very dark brown; feet blackish brown.

The young vary so much, that to give an accurate description is almost impossible; one now before me has the crown of the head, sides of the neck, centre of the breast, abdomen, rump, upper and under tail-coverts deep crimson-red; the upper surface and a broad band across the breast deep grass-green; the cheeks, wings and tail similar to those parts in the adult, but much less brilliant.

The Plate represents an adult and an immature bird of the natural size.

PLATYCERCUS FLAVIVENTRIS. Yellow-bellied Parrakeet.

_Psittacus flaviventris_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. pp. 116–118.

———— _Brownii_, Kuhl, Nova Acta, etc., vol. x. p. 56. no. 90.

_Perruche à large queue_, Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr., pl. 80.

_Van Diemen’s Parrot?_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 130. no. 33.

_Platycercus flaviventris_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 281.—Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II.

_Sulphur-headed Parrot?_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 133. no. 35.

_New Caledonian Parrot?_, Lath. Ib., vol. ii. p. 173. no. 86.

_Psittacus Caledonicus?_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 102.—Gmel. Linn., vol. i. p. 328.

_Caledonian Parrot?_, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. i. p. 248.

_Green Parrot_, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.

There appears to be so much confusion respecting this bird that I have thought it best to adopt M. Temminck’s name of _flaviventris_, although I have little doubt that the _Psittacus Caledonicus_ of Latham, as well as most of the other synonyms given above, refer to the same bird.

It is dispersed over all parts of Van Diemen’s Land and the islands in Bass’s Straits; but is not confined to particular localities like the _Platycercus eximius_, with which it sometimes associates. It keeps in small companies, which appear to be the brood of a single pair, and frequents every variety of situation, from the low-crowned hills and gulleys in the depths of the forest to the open cleared lands and gardens of the settlers. It runs over the ground with great facility, and when observed in small flocks searching for seeds among the tall grass of the open parts, few birds are seen to greater advantage.

Independently of grass-seeds, the flowers of the _Eucalypti_, insects and their larvæ constitute a considerable portion of the food of this bird, and it may be often seen very busily engaged about the branches loaded with flowers in the depths of the forest far away from any cleared lands.

Its powers of flight are very considerable, and it readily passes from one district to another whenever a scarcity of food or any other cause prompts it so to do; the passage being performed in a succession of wide undulating sweeps; hence it not unfrequently happens that large flights leave the forest with a shrill whistling call, and descend to the newly ripened corn of the settlers, and there commit such serious havoc as to call down the vengeance of the farmer on the whole race.

Most of my readers are doubtless aware that Parrots are frequently eaten by man, but few of them are, perhaps, prepared to hear that many species of the family constitute at certain seasons a staple portion of the food of the settlers: soon after the establishment of the colonies of Van Diemen’s Land, pies made of the bird here represented were commonly eaten at every table, and even at the present time are not of unfrequent occurrence. It was not long after my arrival in the country before I tested the goodness of the flesh of this bird as a viand, and I found it so excellent that I partook of it whenever an opportunity for my so doing presented itself. It is delicate, tender, and well-flavoured; but, like that of all other birds, is not so good at some seasons as at others, and very old birds are of course not equal to those of one year old. If we take into consideration the kind of food upon which it subsists, the extreme delicacy and fineness of its skin, and its comparatively inactive mode of life, we might naturally conclude that its flesh would be such as I have described it to be; and although this observation applies more or less to all the species of the genera _Platycercus_ and _Euphema_, I consider the present bird to be in this respect preeminent.

Like other species of the genus, it bears confinement well; and although it is not so frequently met with in the cage or the aviary as some of its more gaily attired brethren, it must not be attributed to any inaptitude for domestication on the part of the bird.

The sexes during the first year are not to be distinguished from each other, but when fully adult, the female is smaller in size and less brilliantly coloured than her mate.

Holes in the large gum-trees afford a natural breeding-place. The eggs, which are laid in September and the three following months, are pure white, and six or eight in number, one inch and two lines long by eleven and a half lines broad. When the young are first hatched they are covered with long, white down, and present an appearance not very dissimilar to a round ball of white cotton-wool.

I found this species very abundant on the banks of the Tamar, and in one instance I saw hundreds congregated at a barn-door among the straw of some recently-thrashed corn, precisely after the manner of the Sparrow and Pigeon in England.

Forehead crimson; crown of the head and back of the neck pale yellow, each feather very slightly margined with brown; space under the eye dull crimson; cheeks blue; back and shoulders dark olive-black, each feather edged with green; middle of the wings blue; the basal half of the primaries blue on their external edges, the remainder blackish brown; rump and two middle tail-feathers green, the remainder of the tail-feathers dark blue at the base, lighter towards the tip; under surface of the body yellow; bill flesh-colour; feet greyish brown.

The adults of both sexes are very similar, but a considerable difference exists in birds of different ages, the young of the year being greenish olive with a slight tinge of blue on the cheeks, wings, and outer tail-feathers, and a faint indication of the red mark on the forehead. As they advance in age they gradually assume the plumage of the adult, which is not fully accomplished until the second or third year.

The Plate represents fully adult sexes of the natural size.

PLATYCERCUS FLAVEOLUS, _Gould_. Yellow-rumped Parrakeet.

_Platycercus flaveolus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 26.

I have no other information to communicate respecting this beautiful _Platycercus_, than that it is an inhabitant of New South Wales, and is abundant on the banks of the rivers Lachlan and Darling. The bird was first sent to this country by Captain Sturt some years since, when he presented a beautiful example with several other rare birds to the Zoological Society of London. Since that period Major Sir Thomas L. Mitchell has introduced several other specimens to England, and I am indebted to this gentleman for the only one in my cabinet. I also saw in the Museum at Sydney several specimens of this little-known bird, which had been collected by Sir Thomas during his expeditions to the Darling, &c. In all the specimens here mentioned little or no variation in their plumage is observable—a circumstance, which induces me to suspect, that, like the Rose-hill Parrakeet, the young are clothed in a similar character of plumage to the adults, or if not, that they gain the full colouring at a very early age: the sexes offer no external differences.

Forehead crimson; cheeks light blue; crown of the head, back of the neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and all the under surface pale yellow, the feathers of the back being black in the centre and pale yellow on their outer edges; middle of the wing pale blue; spurious wing and the outer web of the basal portion of the primaries deep violet-blue, the remainder of the primaries dark brown; two central tail-feathers tinted with green at the base, passing into blue towards the tip; the remaining feathers have the basal portion of their outer webs deep blue, passing into very pale blue towards their tips; the inner webs brown for a greater or less portion of their length, the extreme tips of all being white; bill light horn-colour; feet dark brown.

The Plate represents a male of the natural size.

PLATYCERCUS PALLICEPS, _Vig._ Pale-headed Parrakeet.

_Platycercus palliceps_, Vig. in Lear’s Ill. Psitt., pl. 19.

_Moreton Bay Rose-hill_, Colonists of New South Wales.

This elegant species of _Platycercus_, which, up to the present time, has been more frequently seen alive in a state of captivity than preserved in our zoological collections, is a native of the eastern coast of Australia, and is tolerably numerous at Moreton Bay, where all the specimens I have seen were procured. It is known in Sydney by the name of Moreton Bay Rose-hill, an appellation bestowed on it from its near alliance to the _Platycercus eximius_. The specific name of _palliceps_ has been applied to this species from the light colouring of the head, which amounts, in some specimens, to a total absence of colour: this however, I think, may be attributed to the effects of exposure to light, since, in recently moulted birds, there is always a delicate tinge of yellow pervading the crown; the delicate blue on the cheeks also appears to be affected by the same cause, though not to so great an extent.

It bears confinement remarkably well, and is very docile and familiar, which, added to its very elegant plumage, renders it a general favourite.

Crown of the head and cheeks either wholly white or pale gamboge-yellow; in some specimens also there is a fine line of scarlet crossing the forehead, and the lower part of the cheeks is deep blue; feathers of the nape, back and scapularies black, broadly margined with gamboge-yellow; rump in some instances greenish blue, in others this part is strongly tinged with gamboge-yellow; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, with the base of their external webs deep blue; greater and lesser wing-coverts, and the shoulders, both above and below, beautiful blue; that part of the wing nearest the body black; all the under surface verditer-blue, with the exception of the under tail-coverts, which are scarlet; two middle tail-feathers greenish blue; the basal half of the remainder being blackish-brown on their internal webs, rich deep blue on their outer webs, and the terminal half delicate pale blue, passing into white at the tip; bill horn-colour; irides blackish brown; feet dark mealy brown.

The sexes differ in no respect in outward appearance, with the exception of a slight superiority of size in the male.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

PLATYCERCUS EXIMIUS, _Vig. and Horsf._ Rose-hill Parrakeet.

_Psittacus eximius_, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 96.—Ib. Zool. of New Holl., t. 1.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nov. Act. &c., vol. x. p. 54. No. 87.—Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl., p. xxi.

_Perruche omnicolore_, Le Vaill., Hist. Nat. des Perr., p. 29. pl. 28.

_Nonpareil Parrot_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 138. No. 41.—Id. Gen. Syn. Suppl., p. 85.—Shaw, Zool., vol. viii. p. 411. pls. 57, 58.

_Platycercus eximius_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 281.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand. &c., p. 530.

_Lori-Perruche de la Mer du Sud_, Sonn. Edit. de Buff.

_Psittacus capitatus_, Shaw, Zool., vol. viii. p. 466.

_Rose-hill Parrakeet_, Colonists of New South Wales.

The present beautiful bird ranks among the earliest of the natural productions of Australia that were sent to Europe, but no information having hitherto been published respecting its habits and economy, few persons are aware that it is exclusively confined to New South Wales and Tasmania, its occurrence even in South Australia being utterly unknown: in the more distant colonies of Swan River and Port Essington it certainly does not occur; but in each of those colonies it is represented by a nearly allied species, whose habits and general economy are as similar as possible. Although one of the commonest birds of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, it is very local, a river frequently constituting the boundary of its habitat, over which it so rarely passes, that I never, during my stay in the country, saw the bird on the south side of the Derwent; while in the forests on the opposite shore, not more than a quarter or half a mile distant, it was very numerous. I believe it is never seen in the forests clothing the borders of D’Entrecasteaux’ Channel on the south, or of the River Tamar on the north of the island, those districts being inhabited by the _Platycercus flaviventris_, whose greater size and olive-green plumage are in beautiful accordance with those vast, and as yet unexplored forests of evergreen _Eucalypti_. More delicate in its structure, and far more brilliant in its plumage, the _Platycercus eximius_ resorts to the open parts of the country, such as undulating grassy hills and plains bordered and studded here and there with large trees or belts of low acacias or banksias, among the branches of which, particularly those of the acacias, this beautiful bird may be seen in small companies, the rich scarlet and yellow of their breasts vieing with the lovely blossoms of the trees; in a word, districts of a sandy nature, small plains, open spots among the hills, and thinly timbered country where grass abounds, constitute the peculiar and natural habitat of this bird: hence it is not found to the north of the Derwent, where the country is of a different character; but it is numerous throughout the centre of the island between Hobart Town and Launceston, where small companies may constantly be seen resorting to the public roads, like the Sparrow in England, and upon being disturbed by the passer-by they merely fly off to the nearest tree, or to the rails of the wayside fences. Scenes like these fill the mind with sensations of no ordinary description, and excite the greatest astonishment in those who have recently arrived in the country; the novelty, however, as I have observed in numerous instances, soon wears away, and a caged lark, linnet or blackbird from the land of their birth would be highly cherished and valued, while the beautiful productions of the island would be passed by unheeded, except to deal out destruction among them, with no sparing hand, for some slight injury they may have inflicted upon the rising corn. The above remarks refer more particularly to Van Diemen’s Land, but apply with equal force to New South Wales, where the bird inhabits all situations similar in character to those above referred to. It breeds in great abundance in Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales; it is found in great numbers in the district of the Upper Hunter, and was formerly very numerous at Paramatta, particularly in the neighbourhood of Rose Hill, whence its name. It lays from seven to ten beautiful white eggs in the hollow of a gum-tree during October and the three following months; they are one inch and an eighth long by seven-eighths of an inch broad.

Its natural food consists of seeds of various kinds, particularly those of different grasses, and occasionally of insects and caterpillars.

Its flight is short and undulating, and is rarely extended to a greater distance than a quarter of a mile, as the bird frequently alights on a leafless branch, always flying a little below it and rising again just before it settles.

Its note is a somewhat pleasing whistling sound, which is very frequently uttered.

The sexes are alike in plumage, and the young assume the bright colouring from the nest; the birds of the year, although they may have attained their full size, are not so brilliant as the adult, and may always be distinguished by the bill and nostrils being of a delicate gamboge-yellow.

Specimens from Van Diemen’s Land are rather larger in size, and have the markings of the upper surface of a greener yellow, and altogether less brilliant than those from New South Wales: I possess a specimen killed on Mosquito Island, at the mouth of the Hunter, which is more brilliant than any other I have yet seen.

Crown of the head, back of the neck, chest, and under tail-coverts scarlet; cheeks white; feathers of the back black, margined all round with rich yellow; rump, upper tail-coverts, and lower part of the belly pale green; centre of the belly yellow; shoulders and middle of the wing rich blue; external edges of the primaries blue, the remainder of these feathers dark brown; two middle tail feathers green, passing into bluish green at the tip, the remainder of the tail-feathers dark blue at the base, passing into light blue, and tipped with white; bill horn-colour; feet brown; irides blackish brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

PLATYCERCUS SPLENDIDUS, _Gould_. Splendid Parrakeet.

_Platycercus splendidus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 105.

That the gradual investigation of the interior of Australia will lead to the discovery of many new and interesting objects, is proved by the recent acquisition of the lovely species here represented, which was killed by Mr. Gilbert in the newly-located district to the northward of the Darling Downs in New South Wales. In beauty it even exceeds the Rose-Hill Parrakeet, and is consequently one of the finest species of the genus yet discovered. It differs from that bird in having the centre of the breast only of a rich scarlet, the sides being gamboge-yellow; in the lower part of the abdomen and the upper tail-coverts being verditer instead of grass-green, and in the feathers of the back being broadly margined with rich gamboge instead of greenish yellow. In the youthful state it very much resembles the _P. palliceps_, from which however it differs in having the head yellow instead of pale yellowish white, and the breast yellow instead of pale blue; the breast also has indications of the rich scarlet of maturity, of which no trace is at any time perceptible in the _P. palliceps_.

Head, sides of the neck and centre of the breast scarlet; cheeks white, faintly tinged with blue; feathers of the back and scapularies black, broadly margined with gamboge-yellow; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts pale green; on the shoulder a patch of black; wing-coverts pale blue; primaries black with the exception of the basal portion of the external web, which is rich deep blue; two central tail-feathers dark green at the base, passing into deep blue on the apical half of the external web and tipped with black; the next on each side is black on the internal web, green at the base of the external web, blue for the remainder of its length, and slightly tipped with white; the remainder of the tail-feathers are deep blue at the base of the external, and black at the base of the internal web, the remaining portion of both webs being pale delicate blue, passing into white at the tip; sides of the breast and the abdomen bright gamboge-yellow; vent pale green in some, in others pale bluish green; under tail-coverts scarlet; irides dark brown; bill horn-colour; feet mealy brown.

The figures are of the natural size, one representing the plumage of youth, the other that of maturity.

PLATYCERCUS ICTEROTIS, _Wagl._ The Earl of Derby’s Parrakeet.

_Psittacus icterotis_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 120.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nova Acta, etc., p. 54. no. 86.

_Platycercus Stanleyii_, Vig. in Zool. Journ. 1830, p. 274.

—— _icterotis_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand. etc., p. 530.—Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia.

_Platycercus icterodes_, Bourj. St. Hil. Supp. to Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr., pl. 30.

_Gȍotd-un-gȍotd-un_, Aborigines of the lowland, and

_Mȍy-a-duk_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia.

_Rose-hill_ of the Colonists.

This beautiful little Parrakeet was first made known to science by M. Temminck, who described it under the name of _Psittacus icterotis_; which fact could not have been known to the late Mr. Vigors when he named it _Platycercus Stanleyii_, as a tribute of respect to the present Earl of Derby, at that time Lord Stanley; a tribute so merited, that I cannot but regret the necessity of depriving the bird of this distinctive appellation, and of restoring to it that of _icterotis_, as bound by justice to the first describer. But in still associating his Lordship’s name with this species, in the form of an English appellation, I feel I shall have the acquiescence of all ornithologists.

From the little that is known of the history of this species it would appear that its range is very limited, the colony of Swan River in Western Australia being the only locality in which it has as yet been seen in a state of nature; there, however, it is one of the most common birds of the country, and, except in the breeding-season, may always be seen in large flocks, which approach so near to the houses of the settlers as frequently to visit their gardens and ploughed lands. It generally feeds on the ground, on the seeds of various kinds of grasses and the scattered grain of the farmer; but not unfrequently attacks and deals destruction among the ripe fruits of his garden, especially if they be left unprotected.