Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 287 
the general characters of Paleornis; but the tarsi are more 
elongated than is usual in the genus. In this aberration of 
character we may trace a beautiful connection between“ the 
Ground Parrakeets of Australia, and the more typical birds of 
the present genus belonging to the continent of India. 
1. BannaBANDI. Pal. viridis, sincipite guláque aureo-flavis, 
torque pectorali maculisque femoralibus coccineis. 
Psittacus Barrabandi. Swains. Zool. Illust. pl. 59. 
= Scarlet-breasted Parrot. Lath. Gen. Hist. ii. p. 121. no. 24. 
Genus. Tarcuocrossus*. 
Rostrum subelongatum, compressiusculum : mandibulá inferiori 
subrecta, margine integrá, longiori quam alta. 
Lingua setis plurimis marginalibus ad apicem subtus instructa. 
Ale mediocres; remige prima longissimá, secundá et tertià pauló 
brevioribus, pogoniis integris. 
Pedes subbreves ; tarsis plumis femoralibus aliquatenus opertis ; 
acrolarsüs infra genu paululum plumosis; digitis subforti- 
bus, depressis, lomatinis ; unguibus fortibus, falcatis. 
Cauda gradata ; rectricibus apice angustioribus. 
Besides the external characters, specified above, which sepa- 
rate this genus from the rest of the present subfamily, a decided 
ground of distinction is exhibited in the formation of the tongue. 
The under part of this member is furnished at the apex with 
numerous strong hairs or bristles, of a brush-like structure ; 
and which seem to serve the bird for the purposes of suction. 
The tendency of a considerable portion of the birds of New 
Holland to feed by suction upon vegetable juices, for which a 
sufficient provision is made by nature in the luxuriant vegeta- 
tion and the constant succession of flowers in that country, ren- 
* Opi seta, and yAacca lingua. d 
ers 
