_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
EUPHEMA CHRYSOSTOMA, _Wagl._
Blue-Banded Grass-Parrakeet.
_Psittacus chrysostomus_, Kuhl, Consp. in Psitt. in Nova Acta, vol. x.
p. 58, pl. 1.
_Psittacus venustus_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 121.
_Blue-banded Parrakeet_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 188.
_Nanodes venustus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
274.—Selby, Nat. Lib. Parrots, p. 172, pl. 27.—Steph. Cont. of
Shaw’s Zool., vol. xiv. p. 118, pl. 15.—Swains. Class. of Birds,
vol. ii. p. 305.—Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II.
_Euphema chrysostoma_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., vol. i. pp. 492,
544, and 707.
This bird is a summer resident in Van Diemen’s Land, arriving in
September and departing again in February and March. During its sojourn
it takes up its abode in such open and thinly-timbered localities as are
favourable for the growth of various kinds of grasses, upon the seeds of
which it almost solely subsists. Among the places in which I observed it
to be most abundant were Bruni Island, Sandy Bay immediately adjoining
Hobart Town, New Norfolk, Spring Hill in the interior, the banks of the
Tamar, and on Flinder’s Island in Bass’s Straits. At Spring Hill, in the
month of January, it was more numerous and congregated in larger flocks
than in any other locality I had visited, flights being constantly
passing backwards and forwards from the hills to the margins of some
cultivated lands from which the corn had recently been carried, the
borders of which not having been disturbed were clothed with abundance
of grasses in full seed. A great number of those seen here and at
Flinder’s Island were young birds which were doubtless congregating
previous to their autumnal migration; the direction they take, or the
country they proceed to, is still a matter of uncertainty: in all
probability they pass directly northwards to some part of the Australian
continent, but I was unable to satisfy myself on this point, or to
obtain any decided information respecting them, and I never even saw the
species on the mainland.
The Blue-banded Grass-Parrakeet is one of the most beautiful and
interesting of the _Psittacidæ_; for whether perched on the small dead
branches of a low bush, which it often is, or resting upon the stronger
grasses, as represented in the Plate, there is grace and elegance in all
its actions. It runs over the ground and threads its way among the
grasses with the greatest facility, and is usually so intent upon
gathering the seeds, as to admit of your walking close up to a flock
before it will rise; the whole will then get up simultaneously, uttering
at the same time a feeble cry and settling again at a short distance, or
flying off to some thickly-foliaged tree, where it sits for a time and
then descends again to the ground.
Its flight is remarkably quick, and is performed in a manner somewhat
resembling that of the Snipe; while on the wing 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, being usually deposited in the holes of the
_Eucalypti_, but occasionally in the hollow trunks of the fallen trees:
they vary from five to seven in number, and are perfectly white.
The sexes present no observable difference; but the young, like those of
the _Platycerci_, have the bill and nostrils of a delicate yellow, the
band on the forehead less conspicuous, 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 I
had a living example in my possession a few years since which was
remarkably healthy and active.
A conspicuous band of deep indigo-blue across the forehead, bordered
above by a narrow edging of light metallic blue; lores, and a stripe
behind the eye, rich yellow; crown of the head, back, rump, upper
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 green; centre of the
abdomen and under tail-coverts yellow; four middle tail-feathers
greenish blue; the basal portions of the remainder beautiful blue on
their outer edges, and largely tipped with fine yellow; irides, bill and
feet brown.
The figures are of the natural size.
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