It appears to prefer the barren and sandy belts bordering the coast, but occasionally resorts to the more distant interior. Flocks were constantly rising before me while traversing the salt marshes, which stretch along the coast from Holdfast Bay to the Port of Adelaide; they were feeding upon the seeds of grasses and various other plants, which were there abundant: in the middle of the day, or when disturbed, they retreat to the thick _Banksias_ that grow on the sandy ridges in the immediate neighbourhood, and in such numbers, that I have seen those trees literally covered with them, intermingled with the orange-breasted species (_E. aurantia_), which, however, was far less numerous. When they rise, they spread out and display their beautiful yellow tail-feathers to the greatest advantage. The following account of this species, as observed in Western Australia, has been sent me by Mr. John Gilbert: “It inhabits every variety of situation, but particularly where there is an abundance of grass, the seeds of which are its favourite food: it may be generally observed in small families until the hottest part of the year, when the courses being dried up, water only remains in small pools; these birds then congregate in almost incredible numbers morning and evening. At Kojenup, where there are several pools, and no other water for many miles round, I saw these birds in myriads; but although I shot a great many, they were nearly all young birds. Its flight is rapid and even, and frequently at considerable altitudes. The breeding season is in September and October; the eggs being from four to seven in number,” of a pure white, eleven lines long, by eight and a half lines broad. A bar of deep indigo-blue across the forehead, bordered above by a narrow edging of light metallic blue, which is continued over the eye; lores rich yellow; head, cheeks, scapularies, back and upper shoulders greenish blue; secondaries deep blue, edged with lighter; primaries black, the first three or four edged externally with greenish blue; tail-coverts golden olive-green; throat and chest greenish yellow, passing into bright yellow on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; the centre of the abdomen tinged with orange; two middle tail-feathers greenish blue, the remainder blue at the base, and largely tipped with yellow; irides very dark brown; bill dark brown, lighter on the under side; legs and feet dull brown. The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, on a branch of the _Pittosporum_. [Illustration: EUPHEMA AURANTIA: _Gould_. _J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._ ] EUPHEMA AURANTIA, _Gould_. Orange-bellied Grass-Parrakeet. _Euphema aurantia_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Nov. 10, 1840.