220 



acquainted with all our common birds, and who stated that "he 

 never before saw any birds of a similar kind." Dr. Crisp also 

 thougbt that near a wood where Sqmrrels, Jays and Magpies were 

 abundant, as in this locality, the bird might sometimes corer its 

 nešt. Mr. Wolf informed him, " that he ouce found a nešt of this 

 description in Germany, which he beUeved was that of the Grey 

 Shrike." 



November 10, 1857. 



Dr. Gray, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 

 1. On several New Species of Birds from various parts 



OF THE WoRLD. By JoHN GoULD, V.P., F.R.S. ETC. 



Mr. Gould called attention to three species of Australian birds 

 collected by Mr. Elsey during the recent expedition under A. C. 

 Gregory, Esq., from the Victoria River on the north-west coast to 

 Moreton Bay : two of these birds were of especial beauty and in- 

 terest, viz. a Psephotus and a Malurus. The former is allied both 

 to the P. pulckerritnus and P. multicolor, but differs from either, 

 among other characters, by the rich yellow mark on the shoulder ; 

 and the Malurus is distinguished from all the other members of its 

 genus by its larger size and by the beautiful lilac circlet which 

 adorns the crown. The third species alluded to was a Petroica, 

 allied to the P. superciliosa, a bird discovered by the late Mr. Gilbert 

 in the neighbourhood of the Burdekin Lakęs, and which with the 

 present would admit of separation from the other species of the 

 genus. 



For the Parrakeet Mr. Gould proposed the name of 



Psephotus chrysopterygius. 



Malė. — Band across the forehead, estending above the eye to ita 

 posterior angle, very pale yellow ; on the centre of the crovvn a patch 

 of black ; sides of the head, cheeks, neck, throat, upper portion of 

 the abdomen, lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 verditer blue, somewhat greener on the cheeks and upper tail-coverts ; 

 immediately below the eye a tiuge of ye]low ; back of the neck, 

 back and scapularies, light greyish-brown, slightly tinged with greeu ; 

 shoulder and lesser wing-coverts fine yellow ; primaries and se- 

 eondaries black, margined externally with blue ; feathers of the lower 

 part of the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, light scarlet, mar- 

 gined with greyish green ; two centre tail feathers dark grcen at the 

 base, passing into deep blue towards the extremity, and tipped with 

 dull black ; the remaining tail feathers light green crossed by an 



