PLATYCERCUS PENNANTIL.

Pennant’s Parrakeet.

Psittacus Pennantui, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 90.

———— gloriosus, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 53.

—-——. splendidus, Shaw, Mus., Lev. pl. 7. p. 27.

Perruche a large queue, Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr., pls. 78, 79.

Pennantian Parrot, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. i. p. 61; vol. ii. p. 83.—Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 154.—White’s
Journ., pl. in pp. 174, 175.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 410. pl. 56.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. Belek

Psittacus elegans, Gmel. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 318.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nova Acta, vol. x. p- 55.

Platycercus Pennantii, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 280.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand. p. 535.
pl. 17.—Selb. in Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. vi. Parrots, p. 173. pl. 25.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p- 208.—Less.
Man. d’Orn., tom. il. p. 146.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 66.

Dulang and Julang, Aborigines of New South Wales.

 

Tuts beautiful bird is very generally dispersed over New South Wales, where it inhabits grassy hills and
brushes, particularly those of the Liverpool range and all similar districts. Its food consists of berries
and the seeds of various grasses, to obtain which it descends in small companies to the bases of the hills and
to the open glades; I have often flushed it from such situations, and when six or eight rose together
with outspread tails of beautiful pale blue, offering a decided contrast to the rich scarlet livery of the body,
I could never fail to pause and admire the splendour of their appearance, of which no description can give
an adequate idea; the Platycerci must, in fact, be seen in their native wilds before their beautiful appear-
ance can be appreciated, or the interesting nature of their habits at all understood. Although I have stated
that New South Wales is the true habitat of this bird, I must not fail to record that individuals have come
under my notice which had been killed in Norfolk Island; I am led to believe, however, that the bird must
have been taken thither from New South Wales, and that a sufficient number had either escaped or been
let loose to establish a breed. The habitats of the various Platycerci are generally very restricted ; it is not
probable therefore that the range of this species extends to an island several hundred miles distant from
the main land; how far it may range along the south coast, or to the eastward and northward of New
South Wales, I have never satisfactorily ascertained; I have seen it from Kangaroo Island, but I never met
with it in the belts of the Murray, or in any of the forests round Adelaide, its place in that part of the
country being supplied by the Platycercus Adelaide.

As I have said, the food of this species principally consists of berries and grass-seeds, but insects appear
occasionally to form a part of its diet, as I found the crop of one specimen filled with small caterpillars ; it
was, however, a solitary occurrence.

Like the other members of the genus, the Platycercus Pennantii runs rapidly over the ground, but its
flight is neither rapid nor enduring. In disposition it is tame and destitute of distrust, and as a pet for the

aviary or a cage, few birds can exceed it in interest or beauty; consequently it is one of the commonest of

the living parrakeets sent from Australia to this country.

It breeds in the holes of the large gum-trees, generally selecting those on the hill-sides within the
brushes; and of such situations, the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range appear to be a favourite
locality. The months of September, October and November constitute the breeding season. It makes no
nest, but deposits its eggs, which are white, about an inch and two lines long, eleven and a half lines broad,
and from four to seven in number, on the rotten wood at the bottom of the hole.

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 suc-
ceeds 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 aud scapularies black, broadly margined with rich crimson-red ; the
cheeks and shoulders ceerulean 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.