_J. & E. Gould del._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
MELOPSITTACUS UNDULATUS.
Warbling Grass-Parrakeet.
_Psittacus undulatus_, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 673.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt.
in Nova Acta, &c., vol. x. p. 49.
_Undulated Parrot_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 179, pl. xxvi.
_Undulated Parrakeet_, _Psittacus undulatus_, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol.
viii. p. 469.
_Nanodes undulatus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
277.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 119.—Lear’s
Ill. Psitt., pl. 13.—Selby, Nat. Lib., Parrots, p. 181, pl. 19.
_Euphema undulata_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., &c., pp. 493, 545,
and 707.
_Canary Parrot_, Colonists.
_Betcherrygah_, Natives of Liverpool Plains.
Among the numerous members of the family of Parrots inhabiting
Australia, this lovely little bird is preeminent both for beauty of
plumage and elegance of form, which, together with its extreme
cheerfulness of disposition and sprightliness of manner, render it an
especial favourite with all who have had an opportunity of seeing it
alive. This animated disposition is as conspicuous in confinement as in
its native wilds; a pair now before me are in exuberant health after
having braved the severities of a passage to this country by way of Cape
Horn in the midst of winter.
The first notice of this species was published by Dr. Shaw in his
“Naturalist’s Miscellany,” and until lately, a single specimen, forming
part of the collection of the Linnean Society, was the only one known;
more recently, however, numbers have been added to our museums, and the
bird is now far from being scarce. In all probability it is generally
dispersed over the central parts of Australia; but is so exclusively an
inhabitant of the vast inland plains, or, if I may so call it, basin of
the interior, that it is rarely seen between the mountain ranges and the
coast. In the whole southern portion of the continent it is strictly
migratory, appearing in large flocks in spring, when the grass-seeds are
plentiful, and retiring again after the breeding-season is over to more
northern latitudes. My friend Captain Sturt, in one of his letters,
dated at Adelaide, South Australia, informs me, that “The Scolloped
Parrakeets,” the name given to these birds in that part of the country,
“are found in vast flocks in the interior, and make their appearance
here about October, following each other in flights like Starlings, in
company with the little Crested Parrot (_Nymphicus Novæ-Hollandiæ_),
holding a due north and south course. The flight of both is very rapid,
and although an interval of half an hour may elapse, they all wend their
way in the same direction. Whence come they?”
On arriving at Brezi, to the north of Liverpool Plains, in the beginning
of December, I found myself surrounded by numbers, breeding in all the
hollow spouts of the large _Eucalypti_ bordering the Mokai; and on
crossing the plains between that river and the Peel, in the direction of
the Turi Mountain, I saw them in flocks of many hundreds feeding upon
the grass-seeds that were there abundant. So numerous were they, that I
determined to encamp on the spot, in order to observe their habits and
procure specimens. The nature of their food and the excessive heat of
these plains compel them frequently to seek the water; hence my camp,
which was pitched near some small pools, was constantly surrounded by
large numbers, arriving in flocks varying from twenty to a hundred or
more. The hours at which they were most numerous were early in the
morning, and some time before dusk in the evening. Before going down to
drink, they alight on the neighbouring trees, settling together in
clusters, sometimes on the dead branches, and at others on the drooping
boughs of the _Eucalypti_. Their flight is remarkably straight and
rapid, and is generally accompanied by a screeching noise. During the
heat of the day, when sitting motionless among the leaves of the
gum-trees, they so closely assimilate in colour, particularly on the
breast, that they are with difficulty detected.
It is known that migratory birds after a time forsake the districts they
have been accustomed to frequent, and resort to others where they had
scarcely ever before been seen: in confirmation of this view, I may
state that the natives had never before observed this species in the
districts where I found it so abundant; while on the lower Namoi, where
formerly they had been very numerous, there was this year scarcely one
to be found.
The breeding-season is at its height in December, and by the end of the
month the young are generally capable of providing for themselves; they
then assemble in vast flights, preparatory to their great migratory
movement. The eggs are three or four in number, pure white, nine lines
long by seven lines in diameter, and are deposited in the holes and
spouts of the gum-trees without any nest.
The beauty and interesting nature of this little bird naturally made me
anxious to bring home living examples; I accordingly captured about
twenty fully fledged birds, and kept them alive for some time; but the
difficulties necessarily attendant upon travelling in a new country
rendering it impracticable to afford them the attention they required, I
regret to say the whole were lost. My brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Coxen,
who resides on the Peel, having succeeded in rearing several, kindly
presented me with four, two of which, as before mentioned, have reached
England in perfect health. As cage-birds they are as interesting as can
possibly be imagined; for, independently of their highly ornamental
appearance, they differ from all the other members of their family that
I am acquainted with, in having a most animated and pleasing song;
besides which, they are constantly billing, cooing, and feeding each
other, and assuming every possible variety of graceful position. Their
inward warbling song, which cannot be described, is unceasingly poured
forth from morn to night, and is even continued throughout the night if
they are placed in a room with lights, and where an animated
conversation is carried on.
In a state of nature they feed exclusively upon grass-seeds, with which
their crops are always found crammed: in confinement they thrive equally
well upon canary-seed.
The sexes are precisely alike in the colouring and marking of their
plumage, and gain their full livery in about eight months, or at the
second moult from the time of leaving the breeding-place.
The young are distinguished from the adults by the crown of the head,
which is yellow in the adult, being crossed by numerous fine bars of
brown, by the absence of the deep blue spots on the throat, and by the
irides being brownish grey.
The adults have the forehead and crown straw yellow; the remainder of
the head, ear-coverts, nape, upper part of the back, scapularies and
wing-coverts pale greenish yellow, each feather having a crescent-shaped
mark of blackish brown near the extremity, these marks being numerous
and minute on the head and neck; wings brown; the outer webs of the
feathers deep green, margined with greenish yellow; face and throat
yellow, ornamented on each cheek with a patch of rich blue, below which
are three circular drops or spots of bluish black; rump, upper
tail-coverts, and all the under surface bright green; two centre
tail-feathers blue; the remaining tail-feathers green, crossed in the
middle by an oblique band of yellow; irides straw white; nostrils bright
blue in some, greenish blue and brown in others; legs pale bluish lead
colour.
The figures represent an old and a young bird of the natural size.
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