58 Whith, CeutKtl Australian Yellow-baruied Parrot. [ ,sf'"J'',iy 



Central Australian Yellow-banded Parrot (Barnardius 



zonarius myrtae). 



(S. A. White, Transactions of Royal Society of South Australia, vol. 

 xxxix., 1915). 



(See frontispiece.) 



By S. a. White, M.B.O.U., President R.A.O.U. 

 The Central Australian Yellow-banded Parrot was iirst met with 

 during our trip into the centre of Australia, 1913 (see Transactions 

 of the Royal Society of South Australia, vol. xxxviii., 1914. p. 427). 

 It was plentiful on all the gum creeks met with upon our route, 

 and it was just as plentiful west of Oodnadatta to the Musgrave 

 and Everard Ranges. 



The type is a male, collected by S. A. and E. R. White at Horse- 

 shoe Bend, Finke River, Central Australia, on 8th August, 1913, 

 now in the Wetunga collection. Female differs in being of a much 

 paler coloration. 



Description. — Head and upper part of the neck black ; feathers 

 on the cheeks tipped with bright blue ; a broad crescent of bright 

 yellow crosses the back of the neck ; chest and back bright green ; 

 rump and upper tail coverts bright yellowish-green ; primaries 

 brownish-black, the basal half external margin bright blue , 

 secondaries, internal half brownish-black, external bright bluish- 

 green ; wing coverts rich greenish-yellow ; two central tail feathers 

 bluish-green, next two bluish-green tipped with light blue, the 

 remainder having their basal half dark blue ; the remainder light 

 blue ; abdomen bright yellow ; under tail coverts bright yellowish- 

 green ; iris brown ; feet ashy-grey ; bill bluish -white. 



This new bird differs from Barnardius zonarius in having a much 

 brighter coloration throughout, and being a somewhat larger 

 bird ; the feathers of the chest and back, instead of being a dark 

 green with an olive tinge, are of bright green ; the rump and upper 

 tail coverts are a bright yellowish-green. 



Range. — Extends from Oodnadatta north to the MacDonnell 

 Ranges, and west to the Musgrave and Everard Ranges. 



Habits and Note. — Differ little from B. zonarius. They were often 

 found feeding imder the acacias upon the fallen seeds of the shrub. 

 They were breeding at Wantapella Swamp in July, 1914, one nest 

 having large young in a deep hollow in a red gum tree. 



