152 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



The plumage is almost uniformly dull green, with a slight roseate 

 tinge on the throat, pink on the inner webs of the tail feathers, 

 and scarlet on the thighs. At the age of six months the first 

 moult takes place, but beyond a slight brightening of the colours 

 no perceptible change is noted. At twelve months the male 

 changes to a beautiful bright green and acquires the gamboge- 

 yellow forehead, face, and throat, with a bright scarlet crescent 

 dividing the lower margin of the yellow from the green. At the 

 third moult the scarlet on the thighs disappears, and the inner 

 webs of the tail feathers become black. The female undergoes 

 very slight change in plumage beyond losing the scarlet on the 

 thighs. 

 PoLYTELis iMELANURA, Black-tailed Parrakeet. 



This is decidedly the largest species of the genus, and is also 

 known as the " Smoker " and " Rock Pebbler." It is confined 

 to a comparatively narrow strip of country, embracing Southern 

 New South Wales, Northern Victoria, across South Australia to 

 near King George's Sound in the west ; but the greatest numbers 

 are seen in the St. Arnaud and Wimmera districts. They are 

 partial to Mallee country, where they find sufficient grass seeds to 

 supply their wants during the greater portion of the year, but 

 when the Mallee is in blossom, which usually happens about 

 September or October, they abandon the seed in favour of honey. 

 During these months the young broods are reared. The eggs, 

 five or six in number, are deposited in the hollow spout of any 

 convenient tree, generally in the vicinity of fresh water. In 

 favourable seasons as many as five or six young ones may be 

 taken from a nest, but when, as often happens in the Mallee, the 

 season is dry and blossom scarce, only one or two eggs are 

 hatched. At the age of about three weeks the young leave the 

 nest. The birds then congregate in flocks, and remain so for 

 about three months, when they separate into pairs or small 

 groups. During the breeding season the males may be seen in 

 flocks whilst their mates are sitting, but as soon as the young are 

 hatched both parents assist in supplying their wants. Like 

 P. barrabaridi, the young of both sexes resemble the female. The 

 adult male has head, neck, and under parts all bright jonquil- 

 yellow, olive saddle, with scarlet patches on the wing coverts. 

 The under side of the tail is black. The female is dull olive- 

 green where her mate is yellow. The inner webs of the tail 

 feathers are rosy pink. The remaining marks are similar, but not 

 so bright as those of the male. 

 Spathopterus ALEXANDRA, Princess Alexandra Parrakeet. 



This bird was placed in the genus Polytelis by Gould, but 

 when a series of carefully sexed birds, collected by myself on the 

 Horn Scientific Expedition, was submitted to Mr. A. J. North, 



