EUPHEMA CHRYSOSTOMA, W a g i
Blue-Banded Grass-Parrakeet.
Psittacus Chrysostoms, Kuhl, Consp. in P s itt^ ^ o y a Acta^ v o l.i.p .5 8 , pi. 1.
Psittacus vennstus; Temm. on
Bkie-banded Parrakeet, Lath. Gen. Hist., voL ii. p. 188.
Nmain-*£t#pt, Lib. Parrots; p. 172, pL 27—
stcpb. Coni. of Stay-!%4,;.fol, xiv. gAljtk, pi. 15 -Swains Class of Birds, vobii. p. 305—
■ ' Gould; Syn. Birds of Australia,
Euphema chrysostoma, # a g l £ pp. 492, 544, andf707.
Twsfbird is C sd% ie r resident m Van Diemen\*cmd, arriving- m September and departing again in
•*Jl’'briidj-y^md March. S p ring'if»'y , j u p y t s - a j m ^ i n such open and thinly-timbered localities
'>8&§£f|jpft'3,able fortheigjOK5g o f various Kimkgf grasses, u | | | t h e seeds of which it almost solely subsists.
£Amp0!f the places in w | ^ t X Qb^ry^d'it.to be, n)g,§j| abundant were Jlruni Island, Sandy Bay immediately
■MTOl'ut Hobart Towm^gew Norfolk; S prui^Hili in tliej-intq/iqr,' the hanks of the Tamar, and on
Islapd' in Bass’s .g jjiis . A t Spring,,f l i p in t j j ^ i S |h j of January, it was more numerous
and£p^greg£taQn larger flpeks than in anjr qtjher locality I hyd vi|ted,’ ffights Toeing constantly passing
backwards and forwards ffosn ftw iills to the margins of some cultivated lands from which the corn had
'reegpffy b |m c a r r i e i l ^ r ^ b ^ c j s of which not, li n in r bt u i di-tnrhi if were clothed noth abundance of
a r a - i r number of'tKpsosefen here'and at Flinder’s Island were young birds which
were dpubtless congregating previous to-fin uidiitSSuMl migiiimn; th<fdjj:MS<jnJ%ey take, or the country
l l l p s 'j p o i I d ’to"? is still a Hi.iUir of uncertainty: in>all piohubilriv tiny pass dijffctlynorthwards to some
.part o f theAmtrB^ ^ eo n tm |nt.%b.ut I was unable'to satisfy myself on this pointy,orHo obtain any decided
Rnfor^iation respecting thejii, and I never even, saw the species on the main land.
’’■'fh^-Blue-baniled Grass-l>arrakeet-.is|gne of the most beautiful and interesting of the Psiltacidee; for
whether perched'op. th e small deaiTbranches of $ low bushjfwhich-it often is f^ r resting upon the stronger
grasses, m represeoted'imtbe Plate, there is grace and^jegance m ^ g its actions/ It runs over the ground
'add threads its way among the grasses’-wSjdthe greatest i u diti,, ind is u-u JK ,, intent upon gathering the
■ seeds, a ^ § 4dmit"of your,walking close up- to a flock before it will ris e ; Jh e whole will then get up simultaneously,
uttering at the same time a feeble cry an,d settling again at a short distance, or flying off to some
thickly-foliaged tree, where it sits for a time and .then descendB^gain t[>’me!groiind-'>r-'-
Its flight is remarkably quick, and is performed in a jnanner somewhat resembling that of the Snipe:
while on the wutg1 the deep blue colouring of the shoulder forms a conspicuous contrast to the yellow and
green of the body.
The breeding-season is at its height in October and November; the eggs, as I have been informed,
hejhg usually deposited in the holes of the Eucalypti, but occasionally in the hollow tnmkgfof the fallen
tree s: they vary from five to seven in number, and are perfectly white.
. The sexe^ present no observable difference j but the y o |m |f like 'thoSii of the Platyeerd, have the bill
and nostrils o f a delieate yellow, the band on the forehead I w y i lM a » , and the plumage, although with
the same tints as in the adult, much less brilliant in its colouring.
Like nearly all the other members of the family, it is capable, of. perfect domestication, and a more
elegant or beautiful pet-can. scarcely be conceived; and that it would thrive-in this country is certain, as
1 bad a living example in my possession a few years since which was remarkably healthy and active.
A conspicuous band of deep’'in4gdfebbi$; across tbfe forehead, bordered above by a narrow edging of
light m etflfe blue; lores, and a stripe behind the eye, rich yellow; crown o f the head, back, romps
tail-coverts, throat, chest and flanks Brownish olive-green; shoulders and wing-coverts deep blue;
primaries black, the outer edges of the first three or four slightly tinged with-bluish g re en ; centre of the
abdomen and under tail-coverts yellow; four . lipddle- tail-feathers greenish blue; the basal portions of the
remainder beautiful blue ou their outer edges, and- largely tipped with fine yellow; irides, bill and feet
brown.
The figures are of the natdral size.