Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 287 



the general characters of Pakeornis; but the tarsi are more 

 elongated than is usual in the 2;enus. In this aberration of 

 character we may trace a beautiful connection between the 

 Gi'ound Parrakeets of Australia, and the more typical birds of 

 the present genus belonging to the continent of India. 



1. Barrabandi. Pal. viridis, sincipite guluque aureo-Jiavis, 



torqne pectorali maculisque femoralibus coccineis. 

 Psittacus Barrabandi. Swains. Zool. Illiist. pi. 59. 

 Scarlet-breasted Parrot. Lath. Gen. Hist. ii. p. 121. no. 24. 



Genus. Trichoglossus*. 



Rostrum subelongatum, conipressiusculum : mandibula inferiori 



subrecta, margine intégra, longiori quàm alta. 

 Lingua setis plurimis marginalibus ad apicem subtus instructa. 

 Alee médiocres; remige prima longissimA, secundâ et tertià paulo 



brevioribus, pogoniis integris. 

 Pedes subbreves ; tarsis plumis femoralibus aliquatenus opertis ; 

 acrotarsiis infra genu paululum plumosis ; digitis subforti- 

 bus, depressis, lomatinis ; ungnibus fortibus, falcatis. 

 Cauda gradata ; rectricibus apice angustioribus. 



Besides the external characters, specified above, which sepa- 

 rate this genus from the rest of the present subfamily, a decided 

 ground of distinction is exhibited in the formation of the tongue. 

 The under part of this member is furnished at the apex with 

 numerous strong hairs or bristles, of a brush-like structure ; 

 and which seem to serve the bird for the purposes of suction. 

 The tendency of a considerable portion of the birds of New 

 Holland to feed by suction upon vegetable juices, for which a 

 sufficient provision is made by nature in the luxuriant vegeta- 

 tion and the constant succession of flowers in that country, ren- 



* ©pif seta, and yXaa-a-a lingua. 



ders 



