746 



bright blue ; secondaries, internal half brownish-black, externa! 

 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 buish-Mdiite. 



Type. — A male, collected by S. A. and E. R. White at 

 Horseshoe Bend, Finke River, Central Australia, on August 

 8, 1913; now in the Wetunga Collection. Female differs in 

 being of a much paler colouration. 



Differs from B. zonarius in having a much brighter 

 colouration throughout, and in being a somewhat larger bird ; 

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

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

 upper tail-coverts are of a bright yellowish-green. Its range 

 extends from Oodnadatta north to the MacDonnell Ranges and 

 west to the Musgrave and Everard Ranges. This bird was 

 met with on all the dry water-courses throughout the expedi- 

 tion. They were often found feeding under the acacia trees 

 upon the fallen seeds of that tree. They were breeding at 

 Wantapella Swamp in July, one nest having large young 

 low down in a hollow red-gum. Their note and habits differ 

 little from B. zoiuirius. The size and colouration is the same 

 all over the central region. 



PSEPHOTUS VARIUS ROSINAE, Matliews 



('Southern Manv-coloured Parrot). 

 Ref. Nov. Zool., vol. xviii.. p. 277, 1912. 

 Very plentiful in districts where water was found. They 

 were often flushed from the ground amongst the mulga, where 

 they were searching for the seed of that tree. In several cases; 

 tlie male birds had dark brick-red shoulders in place of the 

 bright yellow. Probably this is not consistent, consequently- 

 I am not classing it as a new variety. 



Neopsephotus bourkii, Gould (Blue-vented Parrot). 



This beautiful little parrot was first met with at Flat 

 Rock Hole, where it came in to drink up to nine o'clock at 

 night. Flying round several times in small parties of four or 

 five birds, they uttered a plaintive little whistle, at times almost 

 warbling. They alighted on the bare rock and walked to the 

 water's edge. It is quite possible these birds have made it a 

 practice to come to water late owing to birds of prey as a rule 

 watching watering-places both morning and evening. Later 

 on a small covey of these birds was flushed from amongst the 



