E U jP B I E M A E I ^ g A K T S =<3btu$d.
JpUPHEMA ELEGANS, Gould.
Elegant Grass-Parrakeet.
1837, jpa?.—IK% : Birds of Awrtraliac Part l |
Gool-ye-der-q,ng, Aborigines of ths! lowlands of Western. Australia.
Ground ParraJceet, of
AiiTHouqu closely ^ em b lu i^ io >,'siie 4 S ^ .ja ^ th e ;Blu e-b aa d ed Grass-Perrakeet, this species differs uj
several minor particulars. ITSjSgjfSM- C o io ^ ^ ^ ^ p p lU m a g e is of a ^ o r e golden b p e ; the hlne frontal
band extends bebuH t h e ^ y ^ i e ift t | t£ S r i^ S 2 y e .ic h e s no farther than % front,: the difference in
the colouring of th&jigggs-^f .fe tw q s p e c i^m S e strongly marked, tjhat part in the' one being wholly
blue, whiJ^H the other all the jshoulders and portions near the scapularies a te green.
Ag#tr as I could learn, th e .jp s e n t specig&is nt|ver seenSin Yan DiemetfgJhanfC.while the Blue-banded
iiftia c onsuiti siunm>iv^teU_m! ty thai i-l md ja it a common h M M S & South Wales, its visits to
I'fo u n d 'it ^hjgulant pi South Autjtealyi, even in the IcPife tf winter,
6*9» I h%V.^|ince, r(££tve<} its eggs fromtfgfsame country, as W&U aa fro^g %W> George’s Sound and Swan
River •, we jD^ja'^iej^xre reasonably suppose it ranges oven all’ the intermediate country, and that it is
|h e r § ^ ^ i^ a b e n t regfdent.
. 'f 1 appears to prefer the barren coast, hut occasionally resorts to the more
distant intciioiC Flocks were eon^t e ^ dsing before jg^vhile traversing the salt-marshes, which stretch
along the coast from Holdfast Baytfgale-Port of Adelaide ifffiey were feeding upon the seeds of grasses
and various other plants, whieh i^ ||§ j||'e re abundant - in, the middle of dr, when disturbed, they
retreat to the thick Bankstas that gJftW on the sandy ridges in- the immediate neighbourhood, and in such
p s s jjlfs j that I have seen those trees literally covered with them, intermingled with the orange-breasted
-IP-gpietffA’. aurantia], which, however, was far less numerons. When they n'fft they spread out and display
theig beabinMl- yellow tail-feathers to the greatest advantage.
Th e following account o f this species, as observed in Western Australia, has been sent me byJMr. John
“ It inhabits every variety of situation, but particularly where there is an, abundance of grass, the seeds
Qf whicb are its favourite food: it may b,e 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 Kojenuh, where there are several pools, and no other
water for many i|ules round, I saw these b ir ^ iu , myriads j' hut 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-covcrts ; 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; hill dark brown, legs, and feet dull brown.
The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, on a branch of the Pittosporum.