PEZOPORUS FORMOSUS, w.

Ground Parrakeet.

Psittacus formosus, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 103.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nova Acta, vol. x. p. 45.
terrestris, Shaw, Mus. Ley., p. 217. pl. 53.—Ib. Zool. of New Holl., pl. 3.—Ib. Nat. Misc., pl. 228.

Perruche ingambé, Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr., tom. i. p. 66. pl. 32.

Black-spotted Parrakeet of Van Diemen’s Land, D’Entrecast. Voy yole iteapa a imarleexe

Ground Parrot, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 26.—Shaw’s

ist vOls ip. 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.—Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 305.—G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd
Edit., p. 66.

—— rufifrons, Bourj. de St. Hil. Supp. to Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des etiee ple Oe

Boo-run-dut-dee, Aborigines northward of Perth in Western Australia.

Djar-doon-gur-ree, Aborigines around Perth.

4

Djul-bat-la, Aborigines southward of Perth.

Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 454. pl. 66.—Lath. Gen.

 

Ky-lor-ing, Aborigines of King George’s Sound.

Goolingnang, Aborigines near Sydney, New South Wales.

Swamp Parrakeet, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.

Ground Parrakeet, Colonists of New South Wales and Western Australia.

 

Tue 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 in 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 is entirely denied to it or not I am 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 vi it 1s 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 (Xanthorrhea), which abounds in the districts it frequents. A striking analogy
in the foregoing habits to those of the Gallinacee and some of ine Ce is very ap-
parent; and a still further analogy to those tribes of birds is exhibited in the manner of its crouching on
the approach of danger and in the strong scent 1t emits, which has many times caused my dogs io road it,
and point as dead as they would have done had game co before them ; consequently, when shooting over
swampy land in Australia, the sportsman is never oe vance a jpeumeleact or a ale will rise ie the
point of his dog. It flies near the ground with great rapidity, Heegqmentihy making sus zigzag turns in the
short distance of a hundred yards, beyond which it seldom passes without 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 aso, are deposited on the
bare 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 ; : also procured both adults and young on
Flinders’ 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. 7
Plumage of the whole of the upper surface dark grass-green, eacli 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
a 9 C

scarlet ; neck and breast pale y ; ee
d by numerous irregular waved blackish bands; primaries and spurious wings

k brown on the inner, each of the latter with a triangular spot of pale

ellowish green, passing into bright greenish yellow on the abdomen and

under tail-coverts, crosse

green on their outer webs and dar
e: four centre tail-feathers green, crossed by numerous narrow bars of yellow ; lateral
;

yellow near the bas ee ee ee es
ous bars of deep green; irides black with a fine ring of light grey ;

tail-feathers yellow, crossed by numer
feet and legs bluish flesh-colour.
The figures are of the natural size.

 

 

_saeana

 

—a