The birds of Australia (16242832244)

PLATE XLIII.

EUPHEMA PULCHELLA. (Gould).

CHESNTJT-SHO UEDERED GRASS PA BRA KEET. Genus: Euphema.

AFTER the Elegant Parrakeet this is the most widely-distributed species of all the genus, and extends its habitats

from the Wide Bay District to South Australia. Of a migratory disposition, the Turquoisine penetrates into

the plains of the Interior, though its preference is for the Coast District. It is commonly to be met with

in New South Wales, but in Victoria it is very scarce, a few going in the spring to South Gippsland and the

places adjacent, and are there never seen in greater numbers than three or four together — more generally in pairs.

Unlike the Elegant Parrakeet, this species does not consort together in large flocks, but, at most, in companies of

six or eight individuals, which are probably a family party, consisting of the old pair and their offspring of the

year, for in her natural state the female Turquosine has two broods in the season of from three to five each, but in

captivity and domesticated she is almost as indefatigable in rearing broods as the Cockatiel, producing from three

to five in the year of from four to eight eggs each time. Parents and offspring remain together harmoniously

associated until the following Spring, when instinct impels the young ones to set up housekeeping on their own

account.

The Turquoisine has a most amiable, docile disposition on the whole, though there are occasional instances

of contankerous exceptions. They are apt to be listless and uninteresting except in the breeding season,

but directly spring comes to " turn their thoughts to love," they become very bright and amusing. The male is

at this period a most amarous lover and devoted husband ; his attentions are touching in the extreme ; he is never

tired of piping a sweet love-song to his mate to while away the tedium of sitting.

As a whole they are very hardy, and have a wonderful power of adapting themselves to changing phases

of climate, adverse conditions, or circumstances. Their food consists solely of the seeds of grasses and the smaller

annuals ; they have a greater partiality for stony ridges than for rich alluvial flats. When suddenly alarmed,

they fly a short distance among the trees and perch upon some dead limb, remaining there till driven to the ground

again by hunger.

When the breeding season comes round, and it is necessary to find a spot to deposit the eggs, these birds

seek out a hollow in a tree, and the eggs are laid without any attempt at nest-building. Incubation lasts about

eighteen days, but it is difficult to ascertain the exact time, as the female is apt to resent any interference, and if

much molested will leave the nest. Egg, white ; length, eleven lines ; breadth, nine lines.

The male Turquoisine is a most beautiful bird, in fact one of the loveliest of our Parrakeets. The

shades of blue on the head and wings are exquisite in a f ull-plumaged bird ; the eye is large and dark ; the

forehead, lazuline blue ; the cheeks and lores, azure ; back of head, back, upper tail coverts, and two centre tail

feathers, olive green ; head, shoulders, and part of wing, a most beautiful turquoisine blue ; a bright spot of

chesnut red at the insertion of the wings ; primaries and secondaries, deep blue on their outer webs, and blackish

brown on the inner ; under surfaces and under tail coverts, bright yellow ; two outer tail feathers, yellow ; two

next, green at base, and yellow at tips ; bill and feet, dark brown.

Size; Eight inches, or the same as Euphema petrophila.

The female resembles her mate in general appearance, except that she is much less brilliant, and lacks

the red shoulder mark ; while the blue head and ultramarine wings are exchanged for a bright blue colour ; the

breast is generally green, or yellowish green, in faded tints. The male specimen in the Sydney Museum, from

which this plate is coloured, has, however, all the under-surfaces yellow blotched with red, but I am inclined to

think this is an accidental variety, as the descriptions given by Gould, Greene, and Forbes Leith, gathered

from many sources, coincide, and they do not seem to have noticed this dull red blotching.

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1890

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