La Grande Perruche à collier et croupion bleu, Le Vaill. Hist, des Perr., pls. 55 and 56.
Tabuan Parrot, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 168 male, in p. 169 female.—Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 153.—Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 81.
Platycercus scapulatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 284.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., tom. i. pp. 492 and 537.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 122.
Psittacus cyanopygius, Vieill., 2nde Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxv. p. 339.—Ibid. Gal. des Ois. Supp., pls. of male and female.
Scarlet and Green Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 116.
Platycercus scapularis, Swains. Zool. Ill., 2nd Ser. pl. 26.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 207.
Aprosmictus scapulatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., August 9, 1842.
Wellat, Aborigines of New South Wales.
This very showy and noble species appears to be extremely local in its habitat; if I remember rightly, I have not seen it from any other portion of Australia than New South Wales, in which country it appears to be almost exclusively confined to the brushes, particularly such as are low and humid, and where the large Casuarinæ grow in the greatest profusion. All the brushes stretching along the southern and eastern coast appear to be equally favoured with its presence, as it there finds a plentiful supply of food, consisting of seeds, fruits and berries. At the period when the Indian corn is becoming ripe it leaves its umbrageous abode and sallies forth in vast flocks, which commit great devastation on the ripening grain. It is rather a dull and inactive species compared with the members of the restricted genus Platycercus; it flies much more heavily, and is very different in its disposition, for although it soon becomes habituated to confinement, it is less easily tamed and much less confiding and familiar; the great beauty of the male, however, somewhat compensates for this unpleasant trait, and consequently it is highly prized as a cage-bird.
I was never so fortunate as to find the nest of this species, neither could I gather any information respecting this part of the bird’s economy; and I am inclined to look with suspicion on the account given by Mr. Caley, as recorded in the Linnean Transactions, which in my opinion must have reference to the eggs of some other bird.