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Transactions . — Zoology. 



bhat it would turn out to be an accidental variety of the common species. 

 An examination of tbe type specimen satisfied me at once that it was a good 

 species, very readily distinguishable from P. novce-zealandice by its more 

 robust form and more powerful mandibles, independently of its imiform green 

 colour. 



The accompanying sketch of the heads of the two species (natural size) will 

 sufficiently confirm what I have said. 





^.i 





x 



_fi^-. 





Fig. 1. — P. novce-zealandice. Fig. 2. — P. tmicolor. 



Mr. G. R. Gray included this species in his List of the Birds of New 

 Zealand (" Ibis," 1862), and on this authority, although rejected by me in the 

 "Essay" (Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. I., 1868), it has been retained on most of 

 the subsequent lists. 



As the original description by Vigors* is not very accessible, and as the 

 account of the bird in Dr. Finsch's excellent Monograph (" Die Papageien," 

 p. 289) does not appear to bring out the distinctive characters, as compared 

 with P, novcB-zealandice, with sufficient clearness, I venture to characterize the 

 species as follows : — ' 



Platycercus unicolor, Vig. 

 JDiag. — Omnino prasinus, vertice capitisque lateribus Isetioribus : dorso et 



* Proc. Zool. Soc, 1831, p. 24. 



