Part 24

It appears to prefer the barren and sandy belts bordering the coast, but occasionally resorts to the more distant interior. Flocks were constantly rising before me while traversing the salt marshes, which stretch along the coast from Holdfast Bay to the Port of Adelaide; they were feeding upon the seeds of grasses and various other plants, which were there abundant: in the middle of the day, or when disturbed, they retreat to the thick Banksias that grow on the sandy ridges in the immediate neighbourhood, and in such numbers, that I have seen those trees literally covered with them, intermingled with the orange-breasted species (E. aurantia), which, however, was far less numerous. When they rise, they spread out and display their beautiful yellow tail-feathers to the greatest advantage.

The following account of this species, as observed in Western Australia, has been sent me by Mr. John Gilbert:

“It inhabits every variety of situation, but particularly where there is an abundance of grass, the seeds of which are its favourite food: it may be generally observed in small families until the hottest part of the year, when the courses being dried up, water only remains in small pools; these birds then congregate in almost incredible numbers morning and evening. At Kojenup, where there are several pools, and no other water for many miles round, I saw these birds in myriads; but although I shot a great many, they were nearly all young birds. Its flight is rapid and even, and frequently at considerable altitudes. The breeding season is in September and October; the eggs being from four to seven in number,” of a pure white, eleven lines long, by eight and a half lines broad.

A bar of deep indigo-blue across the forehead, bordered above by a narrow edging of light metallic blue, which is continued over the eye; lores rich yellow; head, cheeks, scapularies, back and upper shoulders greenish blue; secondaries deep blue, edged with lighter; primaries black, the first three or four edged externally with greenish blue; tail-coverts golden olive-green; throat and chest greenish yellow, passing into bright yellow on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; the centre of the abdomen tinged with orange; two middle tail-feathers greenish blue, the remainder blue at the base, and largely tipped with yellow; irides very dark brown; bill dark brown, lighter on the under side; legs and feet dull brown.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, on a branch of the Pittosporum.

EUPHEMA AURANTIA: Gould.

J. & E. Gould del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

EUPHEMA AURANTIA, Gould. Orange-bellied Grass-Parrakeet.

Euphema aurantia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Nov. 10, 1840.

Although the present bird is not so elegant in form, nor graced with so brilliant a frontal band as several others of the group, it has received an ample compensation in the rich orange mark that adorns the under surface, a character by which it may be distinguished from every other known species. Like the Euphema chrysostoma, it is a summer visitant to Van Diemen’s Land, and they may sometimes be found associating together; still I have obtained specimens in localities where I believe the other is never seen. I observed it sparingly dispersed in the neighbourhood of Hobart Town and New Norfolk, but found it in far greater abundance on the Actæon Islands, at the entrance of D’Entrecasteaux Channel. These small islands are covered with grasses and scrub, intermingled with a quantity of a species of Barilla, nearly allied to Atriplex halimus; and almost the only land-bird that enlivens these solitary spots is the present beautiful Parrakeet: I frequently flushed small flocks of them from among the grass, when they almost immediately alighted on the barilla bushes around me, their sparkling orange bellies forming a striking contrast with the green of the other parts of their plumage and the silvery foliage of the plant upon which they rested. I made many attempts to discover their breeding places, but always unsuccessfully; as however these islands are destitute of large trees, I am induced to believe that they lay their eggs in holes on the ground, or among the stones on the shore. When I thoroughly disturbed them they flew off to the neighbouring islands, or to the main land, uttering a singular snapping note, very unlike that of their associates, the Euphema chrysostoma. On visiting South Australia in winter, I there found it equally abundant on the flat, marshy grounds bordering the coast, especially between the Port of Adelaide and Holdfast Bay. Specimens collected in winter and summer, and in localities distant from each other, present no difference whatever in their plumage.

It may be a casual visitor to New South Wales and Swan River, but I have not yet seen it in any collections from those parts of Australia.

Frontal band blue, margined before and behind with a very faint line of greenish blue; crown of the head and all the upper surface deep grass-green; shoulders, many of the secondaries, and outer edges of the primaries deep indigo-blue; lores, cheeks and breast yellowish green, passing into greenish yellow on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, the centre of the abdomen being ornamented with a large spot of rich orange; two centre tail-feathers green; the next on each side blackish brown on the inner, and green on the outer webs; the remainder blackish brown on their inner, and green on their outer webs, and largely tipped with bright yellow; irides very dark brown; bill dark brown, becoming lighter on the under side; legs and feet dull brown.

The female possesses the orange spot in common with the male, although, in her case, it is neither so extensive nor so brilliant.

The figures represent a male and a female, on a branch of the Barilla plant, of the natural size.

EUPHEMA PETROPHILA: Gould.

J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

EUPHEMA PETROPHILA, Gould. Rock Grass-Parrakeet.

Euphema petrophila, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 148.

Rock Parrakeet, Colonists of Swan River.

Independently of the difference in the colouring of the face of this species, it differs also from all the other members of the genus in its habits; for although, like them, it obtains its food on the ground, feeding on the seeds of the various grasses that grow over nearly the whole surface of Australia, it is far more partial to rocky situations than to trees. I have received specimens of this bird from Port Lincoln in South Australia, but its great stronghold appears to be the western coast, where it occurs in great numbers on Rottnest and other islands near Swan River: “Here,” says Mr. Gilbert, “it breeds in the holes of the most precipitous cliffs, choosing in preference those facing the water and most difficult of access; and hence it required no slight degree of exertion to procure examples of the eggs, which, according to the testimony of the natives, are white and seven or eight in number.

“Its flight is extremely rapid, and at times it mounts to a great height in the air.”

The sexes are nearly alike in colour and may be thus described:—

Frontal band deep indigo-blue, bounded before and behind with a very narrow line of dull verditer-blue; lores and circle surrounding the eye dull verditer-blue; all the upper surface yellowish olive-green; under surface the same, but lighter, and passing into yellow, tinged with orange on the lower part of the abdomen; under surface of the shoulder indigo-blue; a few of the wing-coverts greenish blue; primaries brownish black on their inner webs, and deep indigo-blue on the outer; two centre tail-feathers bluish green; the remainder of the feathers brown at the base on the inner webs, green at the base on the outer webs, and largely tipped with bright yellow; irides very dark brown; upper mandible dark reddish brown; sides of the under mandible light yellow, the tip bluish grey; legs and feet dark brownish grey.

The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.

EUPHEMA PULCHELLA: Wagl.

J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

EUPHEMA PULCHELLA, Wagler. Chestnut-shouldered Grass-Parrakeet.

Psittacus pulchellus, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 96.—Ib. Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 470.—Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 122.—Swains. Zool. Ill. Birds, 1st Ser. pl. 73.—Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 21.—Kuhl, Nova Acta, vol. x. p. 50.