52 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



nearest the body black ; all the under surface verditer-blue, 

 with the exception of the under tail-coverts, which are scarlet ; 

 two middle tail-feathers greenish blue ; the basal half of the 

 remainder being blackish brown on their internal webs, rich 

 deep blue on their outer webs, and the terminal half delicate 

 pale blue, passing into white at the tip ; bill horn-colour ; 

 irides blackish brown ; feet dark mealy brown. 



Sp. 420. PLATYCERCUS CYANOGENYS, Gould. 

 Blue-cheeked Parrakeet. 



Platycercus cyanogenys, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxiii. pp. 



165, 166. 

 amathusia, Bonap. in Cab. Journ. fiir Orn. 1857. 



Platycercus cyanogenys, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supple- 

 ment, pi. 



The presence of so many of the beautiful Plafi/cerci adds a 

 peculiar charm to the country of Australia, and gives to it a 

 tropical character at once striking and novel ; the emigrant 

 must, however, greatly extend his roaming before this bird 

 comes under his notice, for it has only as yet been found at 

 the distant peninsula of Cape York. It was there that the 

 single specimen now in the British Museum was shot by Mr. 

 Macgilhvray, on the 7th of October 1848. 



The Platycercus cyanogenys is very nearly allied to P. 

 palliceps, but differs in the greener tone of the colouring of 

 the body, and in the rich blue cheeks, which suggested the 

 specific name. 



Crown of the head pale sulphur-yellow ; cheeks coerulean 

 blue; feathers of the nape, back, and scapularies black, 

 broadly margined with sulphur-yellow, and stained with 

 green on the lower part of the back ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts greenish-yellow, with an extremely narrow fringe of 

 black at the tip of the feathers ; shoulder and greater wing- 

 coverts deep blue ; lesser coverts black, bordered with deep 



