_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
PLATYCERCUS BARNARDI, _Vig. and Horsf._
Barnard’s Parrakeet.
_Barnard’s Parrot_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 121.
_Platycercus Barnardi_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
283.—Lear’s Ill. Psitt., pl. 18.—Bourj. de St. Hil. Supp. Le Vaill.
Hist. des Parr., pl. 32.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., p. 528.
The _Platycercus Barnardi_ is one of the most beautiful of the genus
inhabiting Australia; the accompanying Plate, whereon I have endeavoured
to portray it as faithfully as possible, will give some idea of the
brilliancy of its appearance: but to see it in perfection and to observe
its rich plumage in all its glory, the native country of the bird must
be visited, its forests penetrated, its brooks and streamlets traced;
for it is principally growing on the banks of the latter, either among
the “high-flooded gums,” or the larger shrub-like trees along the edges
of the streams, that this beautiful species is seen, the brilliant hues
of its expanded wings and tail appearing like a meteor as it passes from
tree to tree amidst the dark glades of the forest.
The range of Barnard’s Parrakeet extends throughout the great basin of
the interior from South Australia to New South Wales, but it seldom
appears within the boundary of the latter colony; I never met with it
nearer than the Liverpool Plains, from whence northwards towards the
interior its numbers increased, and it doubtless inhabits the banks of
the Darling and all other rivers of the interior which embogue into Lake
Alexandrina, and in confirmation of this opinion I may state that I
found it to be equally as abundant in the Great Murray scrub of South
Australia as on the banks of the Namoi. It is generally met with in
small companies of from five to ten in number, sometimes on the ground
among the tall grasses, at others among the high trees, particularly the
_Eucalypti_.
The sexes differ so little in colour that it is difficult to distinguish
them, the males are, however, at all times the largest and finest in
plumage.
I did not succeed in obtaining the eggs of this species, although it was
breeding in all the large trees of the different parts of the country I
visited; but I succeeded in procuring some fine living specimens of the
bird, a pair of which I brought to England, and which were I believe the
first that had been introduced. As cage-birds they are equally as
domesticable and familiar as the other _Platycerci_ and are very
ornamental and attractive; my ever-valued friend the Earl of Derby did
me the honour to accept these interesting birds, and one if not both of
them still continue to grace his Lordship’s magnificent aviary at
Knowseley.
Forehead red; crown, cheeks, chest, abdomen, central portion of wing,
and rump verditer green; occiput crossed by a band of brown, succeeded
by a crescent-shaped mark of yellow; back bluish grey; centre of the
abdomen crossed by a broad crescent of orange; primaries and spurious
wing black; the external margin of each feather, and the tip of the
shoulder rich deep blue; two central tail-feathers deep green, passing
into deep blue at the tip; the lateral feathers deep blue at the base,
gradually fading into bluish white at the tip; bill horn-colour; feet
brown.
The Plate represents the two sexes about the natural size.
[Illustration:
PLATYCERCUS ADELAIDIÆ: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
PLATYCERCUS ADELAIDIÆ, _Gould_.
Adelaide Parrakeet.
_Platycercus Adelaidiæ_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
163.
_Pheasant Parrot_, Colonists of South Australia.
This beautiful _Platycercus_ is a native of South Australia, and from
the circumstance of my having procured some of my finest specimens in
the very streets of that embryo city, I have been induced to give it the
specific name of _Adelaidiæ_. In all probability the bird may in a few
years be looked for in vain in the suburbs of this rapidly increasing
settlement, as it is too large a species and possesses too many
attractions to remain unmolested; indeed it is even now much persecuted
and destroyed by the newly-arrived emigrants, who kill it either for
mere sport or for the table; for, like the other _Platycerci_, all of
which feed on grass-seeds, it is excellent eating.
The _Platycercus Adelaidiæ_ at first caused me considerable perplexity
from its close similarity in some stages of its plumage to the _P.
Pennantii_; as in that species the plumage of the young for the first
season is wholly green, which colouring gradually gives place to red on
the head, rump, and upper surface, the scapularies and back feathers
being margined with the same hue, a character of plumage which soon
disappears and gives place to dull yellow on the flanks and olive-yellow
on the upper surface, the scapularies and back feathers in the mature
dress being edged with yellowish buff and violet. It was only by killing
at least a hundred examples in all their various stages of plumage, from
the nestling to the adult, that I was enabled to determine the fact of
its being a new and distinct species. In all its dimensions it is less
than the Pennantian.
I found the present species plentiful on the banks of the river Torrens,
throughout its whole course, as well as over all the low grassy hills
between that river and the Murray. It was in winter that I visited this
portion of Australia, when I found the adults associated in small groups
of from six to twenty in number; while near the coast, between Holdfast
Bay and the Port of Adelaide, the young in the green dress were
assembled in flocks of hundreds; they were generally on the ground in
search of grass-seeds, and when so occupied would admit of a near
approach: when flushed they merely flew up to the branches of the
nearest tree: it is impossible to conceive anything more beautiful than
the rising of a flock of adults, spreading out their beautiful broad
blue tails and wings, which glittering in the sun present a really
magnificent spectacle.
The note is a loud, piping whistle.
The fully adult male has the crown of the head, lores, sides of the
neck, breast and centre of the abdomen scarlet, passing into dull yellow
on the flanks; cheeks and wing-coverts light lazuline blue; primaries
deep blue, passing into black at the extremity; back of the neck dull
yellow; back black, each feather margined with yellowish buff, some of
the marginations tinged with blue, others with scarlet; rump and upper
tail-coverts dull greenish yellow, the latter sometimes tinged with
scarlet; two centre tail-feathers greenish blue; the remainder deep blue
at the base, gradually becoming lighter until almost white at the tip;
irides brown; bill horn-colour; feet greyish brown.
The figures are those of an adult and an immature bird, in course of
change from the green plumage to that adult dress of the natural size.
[Illustration: