EUPHEMA PETROPHILA,Gould.Rock Grass-Parrakeet.
Euphema petrophila, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 148.
Rock Parrakeet, Colonists of Swan River.
Independently of the difference in the colouring of the face of this species, it differs also from all the other members of the genus in its habits; for although, like them, it obtains its food on the ground, feeding on the seeds of the various grasses that grow over nearly the whole surface of Australia, it is far more partial to rocky situations than to trees. I have received specimens of this bird from Port Lincoln in South Australia, but its great stronghold appears to be the western coast, where it occurs in great numbers on Rottnest and other islands near Swan River: “Here,” says Mr. Gilbert, “it breeds in the holes of the most precipitous cliffs, choosing in preference those facing the water and most difficult of access; and hence it required no slight degree of exertion to procure examples of the eggs, which, according to the testimony of the natives, are white and seven or eight in number.
“Its flight is extremely rapid, and at times it mounts to a great height in the air.”
The sexes are nearly alike in colour and may be thus described:—
Frontal band deep indigo-blue, bounded before and behind with a very narrow line of dull verditer-blue; lores and circle surrounding the eye dull verditer-blue; all the upper surface yellowish olive-green; under surface the same, but lighter, and passing into yellow, tinged with orange on the lower part of the abdomen; under surface of the shoulder indigo-blue; a few of the wing-coverts greenish blue; primaries brownish black on their inner webs, and deep indigo-blue on the outer; two centre tail-feathers bluish green; the remainder of the feathers brown at the base on the inner webs, green at the base on the outer webs, and largely tipped with bright yellow; irides very dark brown; upper mandible dark reddish brown; sides of the under mandible light yellow, the tip bluish grey; legs and feet dark brownish grey.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.