GLOSSOPSITTACUS. 



55 



paler, the edge of the wing and the nape yellower, and the breast more yellowish-green ; bill 

 olive-brown ; the lower mandible yellowish ; cere grey ; skin around the eye bluish-grey t legs 

 and feet Heshy-grey, the soles of the feet dingy dull yellow. When restored to liberty this bird 

 was able to lly well away. 



This species is an earlier breeder than Glossopsittacus concmnns, August and the three following 

 months constituting the usual breeding season in Queensland and New South Wales. 



Glossopsittacus porphyrocephalus. 



PORPHVKV-CKOWXED LOKIKEET. 



I'rkltiiijlnsaiis iiorpJii/rnrfpliitlKs, Dietr., Trans. Linn. Soc, Vol. XVII., p. 553(^1^37) ; Gould, Bds. 

 Austr, fol. Vol. v., pi. 53 (1818). 



Glnssnp.^iJ/a /inrj,/ii/r<>C'/,/,,ilus, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. II., p. 102 (1865). 



G'losnop.ullarii.-^ j„,rp/<yror,'p/,aht^, Salvad., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XX., p. 70 (1891); North, 

 Ibis, 1894, p. 2til ; Sharpe, Handl. Bds., Vol. II., p. G (1900) ; Salvad., Ibis 1905, p. 422. 



Adult M.\LE. — Lures ilnll i-i-iin.<!on ; fiir'/iec/ ornuyf liaynl ii-itli rrd : crmcii of the hew I deep 

 purp/ish-l)/ii, ; featlh rs ahore and beloic the 'tje, the orripul and nniir yelluirtsh-ijfeii; interscapnhir 

 reyiuu olive /cashed ivith grern ,■ shuitlder and lesser luiit.g-coci'rts bright blue ; upper iviny-corerts and 

 scnptdars green : riiiiip and upper tail-corerts grass-green : primaries and secondaries black isii-b roiv n, 

 l/ieir (inter toebs green extermdhj edged n-iih yrllon- : priniarij-coverts blnckishbrunut, green on /heir 

 outer ivebs aiid tips : tail green, inior n-ebs and under surface yellomish washeil with crimson <it tlie 

 base id' the laterid feu/hers ; ear-coeerts red, edgid. and tipped ivitli orange : throat, breast and centre 

 of the ahdmnen pale bluish-grey ; flanks ami nruhr tail-eorerts light green tinged with yellou; the, 

 fornn r wash'd iritlt red; a.eillaries and u ni I er secondary coverts bright crnnson: "bill blnek : feel 

 bluisli-flesli colour ; iris dull brown with a narrou; ring of orange ronnd the pupil." (GouUl). Tijtal 

 length in the fles/t /'■Jf im'hes, tving ^'o, tail '2 S, bill 0-5, tarsus O'l^S. 



Adult Female. — 'I'h", se.rrs are alike in pilumage, but in many opparently adult females examined 

 the ear-corerts are n/ueh pah r, and tin- jl auks and inner n-ebs if the lateral tail-feathers are destitute 

 of tit' erinisou irush. 



Disirdnition — Western .\ustralia. South Australia, Victoria. 



ATi^HE range of the Porphyry-crowned Lorikeet e.xtends right across the extreme southern 

 -L portions of the Australian continent. There are specimens in the Australian Museum 

 Collection obtained by Mr. George Masters at King George's Sound, Western Australia, in 

 April, 1886, and again at Mongup, Salt Kiver, in January, 1869. Mr. Kendal Broadbeiit 

 procured specimens at Port .\ugusta, and the late Mr. J. -\. Thorpe brought a number to 

 Sydney in the Hesh he had collected at Mount Lofty, near .\delaide, in June 1888. It is of 

 comparatively recent years that this Lorikeet made its appearance near Melbourne, \'ictoria. I 

 first heard of specimens being obtained at Melton and Keilor in 1893, and Mr. G. A. Keartland 

 procured specimens at Eltham. In the Western District of X'ictoria Dr. W. MacgiUivray also 

 sent me a note of its occurrence near Hamilton. 



From Victoria Mr. G. .\. Keartland wrote me as follows on the 5th May, 1904: — " I went 

 for a drive to Eltham a few days ago, and took my gun. On passing a Yellow Box tree in 

 blossom I noticed a number of birds in it, and for a time hred as fast as I could load, getting, 

 among others, four species of Lorikeets. They were Glossopsittacus porphyvoit-phalus, G. concinnus, 

 G. pnsilliis and Lathdiiiiis discolor. A few years ago the former species was quite unknown near 

 Melbourne, but they are now regular visitors. 



