_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
PSEPHOTUS HÆMATONOTUS, _Gould_.
Red-backed Parrakeet.
_Platycercus hæmatonotus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p.
151; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
This species inhabits the interior of the south-eastern division of the
Australian continent; it is abundantly dispersed over the Liverpool
Plains, and all the open country to the northward as far as it has yet
been explored; it also inhabits similar tracts of country in South
Australia; on the plains around Adelaide it is seldom seen, but as the
traveller advances towards the interior every succeeding mile brings him
in contact with it in greater numbers. It is more frequently seen on the
ground than among the trees; and it evidently gives a decided preference
to open grassy valleys and the naked crowns of hills, than to the wide
and almost boundless plain. During winter it associates in flocks,
varying from twenty to a hundred in number, which trip nimbly over the
ground in search of the seeds of grasses and other plants, with which
the crops of many that were shot were found to be distended. In the
early morning, and not unfrequently in other parts of the day, I have
often seen hundreds perched together on some leafless limb of a
_Eucalyptus_, sitting in close order along the whole length of the
branch, until hunger prompted them to descend to the feeding-ground, or
the approach of a hawk or other enemy caused them to disperse. Their
movements on the ground are characterized by much grace and activity,
and although assembled in one great mass running over the ground like
Plovers, they are generally mated in pairs,—a fact easily ascertained by
the difference in the colouring of the sexes; the rich red mark on the
rump of the male appearing, as the bright sun shines upon it, like a
spot of fire.
In the manner of its flocking and the situations it frequents, this bird
is directly intermediate between the members of the genera _Euphema_ and
_Platycercus_; the same remark holds good also with respect to its form
and structure; this fact, however, I have pointed out in the
observations on the genus, and it is therefore unnecessary to repeat the
details here.
This bird has a pleasing whistling note, almost approaching to a song,
which is poured forth both while perching on the branches of the trees
and while flying over the plains. On the approach of the breeding-season
it retires into the forest and separates into pairs; the eggs, which are
white and five or six in number, eleven lines long by eight and a half
lines broad, are deposited without any nest in the spouts and hollows of
the gum-trees.
Crown of the head, back of the neck, cheeks and chest emerald-green,
which is lightest on the forehead and cheeks; back brownish green; rump
scarlet; tip and under surface of the shoulder, spurious wing, and the
outer edge of the basal half of the primaries rich ultramarine blue; the
blue of the shoulder above passing into sulphur-yellow, and forming a
conspicuous spot of the latter colour in the centre of the shoulder;
greater and lesser wing-coverts and secondaries bluish green; upper
tail-coverts and two centre tail-feathers green, passing into blue
towards the tip, which is blackish brown; the remainder of the
tail-feathers green at the base, gradually passing into delicate greyish
white on the inner webs and the tips; centre of the abdomen yellow;
thighs dull bluish green; under tail-coverts greyish white; bill
horn-colour; feet brown; irides pale brown.
The young male of the year differs from the adult in having those parts
delicate greenish grey which in the latter are emerald-green; in being
destitute of the red colouring of the rump, and of the yellow on the
centre of the abdomen; and in having the bases of the secondaries and
some of the primaries white.
The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.
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