104 PSITTACID/E. 



Spathopterus alexandrae. 



(JUEEN ALEXANDKA'S I'AKKAKKEJ'. 



PdJillfh s fili:ra>i(lr(i\ (iould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 18G•■^ p. i.'VJ. 



I'olijldis alexaudrii, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr,, Vol. II., p. .'VJ (1S(!5) ; jV/., Suppl. Bd.s. Austr., 

 fol. V'ol. pi. G-2 (1869); Salvad., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. XX., p. IT'J (1891), 



Spat]nij)tfr}i!< ah-.i-itinlni , North, Ibis, 1895, p. 339 ; Spencer, Narr. and Sunim. Horn Sci. Evpcd. 

 Centr. Austr., Part 1., p.p. 100-146 (1896) ; North and Keartl, Rep. Horn 8ci. Exped. 

 Centr. Austr., Part II., pp. 60-63, pi. ") (1896|; "i'., Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A., Vol. XXll., p. 

 130 (1898); Dubois, Nouv. Man. D'Orn., Vol. I., p. 20 {1S99) ; Sharpe, lland-1. I'.ds., Vol. 

 IT., p. 33 (1900); Seth Smith, Parrakcet.s, p. 124 (1903) ; Salvad., Ibis, 1907, p. 141. 



Adult MALK. — Forehead, croirn of Ihr liend ami iiiip' liylil bliif : liind-^ifck, u/i/ifi- j>or/ioii of /lie 

 liack, .■icnpulitrH mid hiiter mo.-,-t sec'iudiiri>'>i li(j/if olive-r/rri'ii, some af /If ffn/lu-i-s i,f /In- iip/ier back 

 iiii/istiiir/ly iiiar<ji'ni'il iri/h (jrern a/ /Iip /i/is .■ hm-fr hiii-k and riiin/i lih" : upjier /ail-co''er/s Hijli/ 

 olipt;-gri'en : two C6ii/rnl /nil-feathera olivr-grei'n jKisahtg iii/o n dtijl Uu isli-grreti /ovnrils //n' ti/)s, 

 tliPir basal hdlf narron:lii edged tvitli grffnisli-yi'lhnv, /he ner/ nil , i/lur side shni/ar hu/ having /he 

 lidsid liajf of /III 17- inii'i' irebs narrorlij edged wi/h rose-pink , /hr reinniiidee pale bin ish-i/yy on /lieir 

 outer irrbs, ifitsky biiiish-gre.y on /heir iiiner irehs ne.r/ the sliaft, broadli/ iiKirgiiied with rose-red aiid 

 iiidis/iiic/ly lipprd ici/h greeiiish-yelloiv, ivhich decreases in extent toinirds /he eeutral pair : iipjier vnng- 

 coverls yflloirish-grein ; primary eorer/s iiidigo-bliie, /he mi/er ones nearly binek : i/inlls dark-broim, 

 the inne.rmos/ secondaries pale olive-green like the scapulars, the remainder green on /heir mi/er n-ebs 

 shaded n:ith bli"' mar the tips, and e:e/,ernally edged with greenish-yellmr, /he primaries siniilnr bn/ 

 tvithou/ /III' bluish shade, except on the outer series : fathers m front and benm/li tin eye dull i/elbnrish- 

 green ; chin, clucks and /hroa/ rose-pink, beeitminij nincli jialer on /he basal pnr/iou of /he enr-cover/s ; 

 remainder of /In under surface pale ulin -green ivi/h n slight ashy-blue shade on /he abdomen ,■ thighs 

 and crissuin dull rosy-red ; sides of flanks diep bhie and lilac : nm/er tail-coverts olive-green ; iinder 

 iving-coverts bright grnss-gnen ; bill cond -red, flcshi/-n'hi/c a/ /In tip ■ legs and fee/ dark grey : iris 

 rich orange. To/al leng/h in lite flesh 17 inches, wing ( inchiding /In spnlnlnt. tip to third /irimari/) 

 7'S, cen/ral /nil-fea/hers 11 i'l, ou/er tail-feathers Jf., bill l~l'7, Inrsns li7 . 



Adult fkmalk. — Similar in piluninge to the male, bu/ paler, especially mi /he crmnn of /lie head, 

 loirer back, rnm/i and /highs ,■ the priinnry cnver/s /oo arc irasind irilh green. Wing US inches. 



Dis/ribittiiiii — South Australia, Central Australia, Western .\ustialia, North-western Australia. 



/T^HE type of this species, the sole representative of the genus, was discovered by Mr. 

 JL. F. G. W'aterhouse, a former Curator of the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, 

 at Howell's Ponds, Central Australia, during Stuart's Trans-continental Expedition in 1862. 

 Gould described it in the " Proceedings of the Zoological Society," in 1863, dedicating it to the 

 then Princess of Wales, now the Dowager Queen, and subsequently figured it in his " Supplement 

 to the Birds of Australia." The only original specimen now apparently in existence is one m 

 the Australian Museuin, received by Dr. E. P. Kamsay from the late Mr. F. G. W'aterhouse. 

 It is labelled, apparently by the latter, " Polytdis aUwandvir, No. 3(7, Howell's Ponds, S. Lat. 16° 

 54*7', Stuart's Expedition," and in Dr. Ramsay's handwriting on the back " One of the type 

 specimens."'' 



After a lapse of twenty-eight years, Mr. M. S. Clarke, of Adelaide, South .Australia, brought 

 under the notice of the public, through the columns of the South Australian Register of the 28th 



* Cat. Austr. Bds.. Hart III., P.sittaci, p 44 {1S91). 



