fiS BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



outer feathers on each side with a narrow zigzag band of 

 black at about half their length from the base, then greenish 

 blue to the tip, the inner webs fading into white near the 

 extremity ; throat and chest yellowish emerald-green, each 

 feather tipped with verditer-blue ; middle of the breast and the 

 sides verditer-blue ; abdomen and under tail-coverts scarlet ; 

 irides dark brown ; bill horn-colour, becoming blackish grey 

 at the base ; legs and feet yellowish brown. 



Total length 12 inches ; bill ^ ; wing 5 J ; tail 7\ ; tarsi f . 



Sp. 430. PSEPHOTUS MULTICOLOR. 



Varied Parrakeet. 



Psittacus multicolor, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xii. p. 119. 



Varied Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 182. 



Platycercus multicolor, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 283. 



Psephotus multicolor, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. v. pi. 35. 



The natural home of this bird is the interior of Australia, 

 where it is abundant, particularly on the plains bordering the 

 Lachlan, the Upper Murray and the Darling. It is a true 

 Psephotus, and is closely allied to P. h(Bmatonotus, but differs 

 from that and the other species of the genus in the bands of 

 colour which ornament the head, wings and rump; it is a 

 species I did not meet with myself, and of which no informa- 

 tion has been given by those travellers who have visited its 

 habitat. 



Much variation is found to exist in the colouring of this 

 bird; some individuals having the band across the wing- 

 coverts bright yellow, while in others the same part is tinged 

 with red. 



The adult male has the forehead and shoulders sulphur- 

 yellow ; under tail-coverts citron-yellow ; rump crossed by 

 three distinct bands of yellowish green, dark green and 

 reddish chestnut ; occiput reddish chestnut ; base of the 

 primaries, secondaries and spurious wing, and the under wing- 



