NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 623 



FAMILY— PSITTACID^ . PARROTS. 

 Sub-family — PAL.«:oRNiTHiN.fi. 



488. — PoLYTELis BARRABANDi, Swainson. — (406) 



GREEN-LEEK PARRAKEET. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 15. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 47S. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 (1883), also Nests and Eggs Australian Birds, pi. 2, fig. 406 

 (1883). 



Geoijraphiral Diffri/intion. — ^South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria and South Australia. 



N^e.if. — Within a hole or hollow in a tree, usually by a stream. 



E;/r/x. — Clut^'h, fovu- to five ; elliptical in shape ; texture of shell 

 somewliat fine ; surface glossy ; colour, pure white. Dimensions in 

 inches : TIT x 0. 



Ohsservntions. — This most elegant and exquisitely coloured species is 

 a somewhat scarce PaiTakeet, being limited to isolated localities inland 

 from South Queensland down to Soutli Australia. 



The Barrahand PaiTakeet, or, as it is called, the " Green-leek," is 

 well named on account of its general gra.ss-green plumage, the beauty 

 of wliicli is intrnsified by the forehead, cheeks, and throat being of rich 

 gamboge-yellow, and immediately beneath the throat is a conspicuous 

 crescent of scarlet. The female is a little inferior in colouring to the 

 male. Total length of a bird, about 16 inches. The bird is a striking 

 adornment to an aviary. In Gould's day they were frequently brought 

 down to Sydney by draymen, from the Argyle country, where these 

 beautiful Pan-akeets were not uncommon at the time, 



I hav.- only a solitary egg in my collection, taken in the Wimmera 

 district by a friend of the late Mr. H. A. Smith, Batesford. 



489. PoLYTELIS ALEXANDRA, Gould. (407) 



ALEXANDRA PARRAKEET. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., supp., pi. 62. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 479. 



Previous Description of Eggs. — North : Rec. Austn. Mus., vol. ii., 

 p. 19 (1892). 



Geographical Distribution. — Interiors of Northern Territory and 

 South, West, and North-west Australia. 



