This beautiful bird is very generally dispersed over New South Wales,
where it inhabits grassy hills and brushes, particularly those of the
Liverpool range and all similar districts. Its food consists of berries
and the seeds of various grasses, to obtain which it descends in small
companies to the bases of the hills and to the open glades; I have often
flushed it from such situations, and when six or eight rose together
with outspread tails of beautiful pale blue, offering a decided contrast
to the rich scarlet livery of the body, I could never fail to pause and
admire the splendour of their appearance, of which no description can
give an adequate idea; the _Platycerci_ must, in fact, be seen in their
native wilds before their beautiful appearance can be appreciated, or
the interesting nature of their habits at all understood. Although I
have stated that New South Wales is the true habitat of this bird, I
must not fail to record that individuals have come under my notice which
had been killed in Norfolk Island; I am led to believe, however, that
the bird must have been taken thither from New South Wales, and that a
sufficient number had either escaped or been let loose to establish a
breed. The habitats of the various _Platycerci_ are generally very
restricted; it is not probable therefore that the range of this species
extends to an island several hundred miles distant from the main land;
how far it may range along the south coast, or to the eastward and
northward of New South Wales, I have never satisfactorily ascertained; I
have seen it from Kangaroo Island, but I never met with it in the belts
of the Murray, or in any of the forests round Adelaide, its place in
that part of the country being supplied by the _Platycercus Adelaidiæ_.
As I have said, the food of this species principally consists of berries
and grass-seeds, but insects appear occasionally to form a part of its
diet, as I found the crop of one specimen filled with small
caterpillars; it was, however, a solitary occurrence.
Like the other members of the genus, the _Platycercus Pennantii_ runs
rapidly over the ground, but its flight is neither rapid nor enduring.
In disposition it is tame and destitute of distrust, and as a pet for
the aviary or a cage, few birds can exceed it in interest or beauty;
consequently it is one of the commonest of the living parrakeets sent
from Australia to this country.
It breeds in the holes of the large gum-trees, generally selecting those
on the hill-sides within the brushes; and of such situations, the cedar
brushes of the Liverpool range appear to be a favourite locality. The
months of September, October and November constitute the breeding
season. It makes no nest, but deposits its eggs, which are white, about
an inch and two lines long, eleven and a half lines broad, and from four
to seven in number, on the rotten wood at the bottom of the hole.
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