176 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



plumaged adult males, the remainder females and young males — 

 and an adult pair was secured on behalf of the Trustees of the 

 Australian Museum. While, however, Mr. Kruger was removing 

 them from one cage to another, opportunity was taken of 

 critically examining them and taking the measurements of the 

 adult male. 



From Professor Collet's description of the adult male of 

 Fsephotus dissimilis, the living bird differs in the following 

 respects : — The feathers from the sides of the base of the lower 

 mandible, extending in a line immediately below the eye on to 

 the sides of the nape and upper portion of the hind-neck, are 

 black, and gradually pass into a dark greyish-brown on the upper 

 portion of the back and the scapulars ; the lesser, median, and 

 greater wing coverts are entirely golden-yellow ; the under tail 

 coverts are pale scarlet with whitish margins ; bill faint bluish- 

 horn colour, cere slightly darker ; legs and feet rich fleshy-grey 

 brown ; iris black, eyelid dark greyish-black. Total length, 

 10.5 inches ; wing 4.9, tail 6, bill 0.5. 



Professor Collet describes the adult male of Psephohis dis- 

 szmi^^ls as " forehead, lores, and crown dark chestnut," and Dr. 

 E. Hartert,t of P. dissimilis {?), " crown of the male is dark brown, 

 not at all chestnut," and again Professor Collet states that the 

 greater wing coverts of P. dissimilis are black, and the lower 

 (under) tail coverts orange. 



The female agrees fairly well with Professor Collet's descrip- 

 tion, except that the cheeks are pale blue, not grey, as are also 

 the ear coverts, and that the under tail coverts are paler than in 

 the male. 



Young males resemble the adult females, but the feathers of 

 the cheeks and sides of the throat and neck are pale verditer blue, 

 and some of the feathers at the base of the bill, and on the fore- 

 head, are black. Although these birds are fairly tame, one young 

 male was so quarrelsome, attempting to bite any others that came 

 near it, that eventually it was removed from the cage. 



What I regard as the chief point of difference is that not only are 

 the lores, forehead, and crown of the head of the adult male 6/ac^, 

 but that this colour extends down the anterior portion of the 

 cheeks to the sides of the base of the lower mandible. Viewed 

 in front, the bird appears to wear a black mask or cowl. Should 

 it prove to be distinct, I propose to distinguish it under the name 

 of Psephotus cucullatus, and vernacularly as the Black-hooded 

 Parrakeet. Owing to the larger golden-yellow wing-patch, and 

 greater extent of black on the head, it is a more showy and 

 attractive species than its ally, the Golden-winged Parrakeet, 

 Psephotus chrysopteri/givs, which is also found in the Northern 

 Territory of South Australia. Sydney, 6th February, 1909. 



+ " Nov. Zool.," vul. xii., p. 214 (1905), 



