82 H. L. WHITE, The Xaretha Parrot. {'^^^ET 



Adult Female. — Very similar in plumage to the male, but 

 smaller ; with less colour on the wings, cheeks, abdomen and tail. 

 Total length, 2(^ mm.; wing, 113 mm.; culmen, 1.S mm.; tarsus, 

 20 mm. ; tail, 153 mm. 



Immature Male. — The immature male upon leaving the nest 

 ■carries plumage very similar to that of the mature female ; but 

 with a marked wash of bright yellow over the feathers of body 

 and wings. 



The finding of a new parrot is such a notable event in the 

 ornithological world, that a few remarks upon the discoverv of 

 Pscpliotns uarcthac may not be out of place. 



Captain S. A. White, having worked uj) the birds on the east- 

 ern edge of the great Xullarbor I'lain, it was suggested to me 

 that similar useful data should be obtained on the Western Aus- 

 tralian side, some 430 miles distant; the intervening country, 

 about the size of the State of \'ictoria, being level, treeless and 

 waterless. 



Having secured the services of Mr. F. L. Whitlock, who had 

 previously done such wonderfully good work for me, 1 sug- 

 gested Zanthus, on the trans-Australian railway line. 130 miles 

 east of Kalgoorlie, as a starting point. 



Certain concessions having been kindly granted by the Com- 

 monwealth Railway Department, Mr. Whitlock fixed his camp 

 at Zanthus during July, but soon found he was too far to the 

 west; and an important matter coming under his notice, has- 

 tened his departure. A railway official had in captivity a parrot, 

 said to have been taken at Naretha, 75 miles further east, near 

 the edge of the great i)lain, the bird agreeing with no published 

 description. 



Business calling me to Perth, I passed Zanthus on the 1st 

 August last, and met Mr. Whitlock there for a quarter-of-an- 

 hour's talk. Upon hearing of the i>et parrot, I said: "Get away 

 to Naretha without delay, and report to me there on my return 

 journey." On the 8th, Mr. Whitlock met the train at Naretha. 

 and handed me three (3) skins, saying he thought the bird 

 was new. 



U])on arrival at Adelaide, I had a few minutes' C(Miversation 

 with Captain White, who gave an opinion that the parrot was a 

 good species. A careful comi>arison at the National Museum, 

 IVIelbourne, settled the matter conclusively. 



The discovery of this bird ])oints to the possibility of the Xul- 

 larbor plain se])arating certain eastern and western forms, in a 

 manner similar to that noted in North- West .Xustralia, where a 

 wide stretch of desert country extending south from I'.roome 

 appears to act as a barrier to certain forms of bird life. 



