220 



acquainted with all our common birds, and who stated that "he 

 never before saw any birds of a similar kind." Dr. Crisp also 

 thought that near a wood where Squirrels, Jays and Magpies were 

 abundant, as in this locality, the bird might sometimes cover its 

 nest. Mr. Wolf informed him, " that he once found a nest of this 

 description in Germany, which he believed was that of the Grey 

 Shrike." 



November 10, 1857. 



Dr. Gray, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On several, New Species of Birds from various parts 

 of the World. By John Gould, V.P., F.R.S. etc. 



Mr. Gould called attention to three species of Australian birds 

 collected by Mr. Elsey during the recent expedition under A. C. 

 Gregory, Esq., from the Victoria River on the north-west coast to 

 Moreton Bay : two of these birds were of especial beauty and in- 

 terest, viz. a Psephotus and a Malurus. The former is allied both 

 to the P. pulcherrimus and P. multicolor, but differs from either, 

 among other characters, by the rich yellow mark on the shoulder ; 

 and the Malurus is distinguished from all the other members of its 

 genus by its larger size and by the beautiful lilac circlet which 

 adorns the crown. The third species alluded to was a Petroica, 

 allied to the P. superciliosa, a bird discovered by the late Mr. Gilbert 

 in the neighbourhood of the Burdekin Lakes, and which with the 

 present would admit of separation from the other species of the 

 genus. 



For the Parrakeet Mr. Gould proposed the name of 



Psephotus chrvsopterygius. 



Male. — Band across the forehead, extending above the eye to its 

 posterior angle, very pale yellow ; on the centre of the crown a patch 

 of black ; sides of the head, cheeks, neck, throat, upper portion of 

 the abdomen, lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 verditer blue, somewhat greener on the cheeks and upper tail-coverts ; 

 immediately below the eye a tinge of yellow ; back of the neck, 

 back and scapularies, light greyish-brown, slightly tinged with green ; 

 shoulder and lesser wing-coverts fine yellow ; primaries and se- 

 condaries black, margined externally with blue ; feathers of the lower 

 part of the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts, light scarlet, mar- 

 gined with greyish green ; two centre tail feathers dark green at the 

 base, passing into deep blue towards the extremity, and tipped with 

 dull black ; the remaining tail feathers light green crossed by an 



