54 Prof. F. M'Coy on a new Australian Parrot. 



III. — Note on an apparently new Parrot from Cardwell, 

 N.E. Australia. By Frederick M'Coy, Professor of 

 Natural Science in the University of Melbourne. 



To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 



My attention was called several months ago by Mr. Lead- 

 beater, the skilful taxidermist to the National Museum at 

 Melbourne, to the apparently new characters of a small parrot 

 of the genus Cyclopsitta very nearly related to the C. Coxeni, 

 one of the newly described species from the same part of 

 Australia, the distinguishing; characters separating it from 

 which he so correctly appreciated that I wish, if the species 

 is as yet undescribed, to name it after him, as a recognition 

 of his acute observation. I have since searched all the records 

 available to me ; and failing to find any indication of any such 

 species, I beg to send you a descriptive note of it. 



Cyclopsitta Leadbeateri (M'Coy) . 



Spec. char. Rich dark green above, lighter below ; wing- 

 feathers blackish, with the outer webs of the primaries and 

 secondaries bright blue above, two pale yellow transverse 

 bands below ; . under wing-coverts bright green ; a golden- 

 yellow small patch on each side concealed by the closed wing, 

 and a small dull orange-red patch at inner edge of tertiaries, 

 the outer webs of which and wing-coverts are of the same 

 green as the back ; a dark vermilion-red transverse oblong- 

 patch on forehead, from which a greenish blue broad band 

 extends, including the eye, over the ear-feathers towards the 

 outer edge of the auriculars, changing slightly to opal-purplish 

 hue. The male only differs in having a transverse patch of 

 red, as in C. Coxeni, through the ear-feathers, dividing the 

 blue above from that below. Bill and feet blackish horn- 

 colour. 



Length 5 inches 3 lines, wing from shoulder 3 inches 3 lines ; 

 length of bill along gape 7 lines ; depth of both mandibles 

 8 lines ; tarsus 6^ lines. 



The general size, shape, and colouring is nearly like that 

 of C. Coxeni ; but it is somewhat smaller, and has in both 

 sexes an oblong patch of red on the forehead just over the 

 cere. It differs also in habitat, frequenting the scrubs more 

 than the C. Coxeni does. It seems to be rather rare at 

 Cardwell, where the specimens described were collected for 

 the Melbourne Museum by Mr. Broadbent. 



April 19, 1875. 



