210 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Genus Polytelis. 



Key to the Species. 



General colour green, male with forehead, cheeks and 

 throat yellow, female with forehead and cheeks 

 tinged with bluish and the inner wehs of the 

 lateral tail-feathers margined with red. P. barrabandi. 



General colour green, forehead and rump bluish, lower 

 part of cheeks and throat pale rose-colour, inner 

 web of lateral tail-feathers margined with red. P. alexandrSB. 



A red patch towards the tips of the innermost great 

 wing-coverts and innermost secondaries ; general 

 colour of male jonquil-yellow, female duller and 

 with inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers edged 

 with red. P. melanura. 



The Green-leek Parrakeet. 



Polytelis barrabandi. 



South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. 



Just beneath the yellow of the throat is a crescent of scarlet, quills 

 underneath black, tail black underneath, bill red. Total length 16 inches, 

 wing 7.2, tail 9, bill 0.7, tarsus 0.57. The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.16 x 

 .89 inch. 



These beautiful birds are nowhere plentiful, but are easily 

 distinguished, and are usually in open forest country. 



The Black-tailed Parrakeet (Rock Pebbler). 



Polytelis melanura. 



New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia. 



Head, nape and upper tail-coverts tinged with olive, quills black, tail 

 feathers deep purple-blue, black underneath. The female has the tail 

 feathers bluish-green. The eggs (4 to 6) measure 1.21 x .96 inch. 



Like the preceding species, this bird is not plentiful, and is 

 generally found near water, nesting in holes in large Eucalyptus 

 trees. 



The Alexandra Parrakeet. 



Spathopterus {Polytelis) alexavdrce. 



Central Australia. 



Forehead delicate light blue, lower parts of cheeks, chin and throat 

 rose-pink; head, mantle, back olive-green; lower part of back blue; 

 shoulders and wing-coverts yellowish-green, external webs of the primaries 

 dull blue; breast grey, upper tail-coverts bluish-olive, bill red. Total 

 length 14 inches, bill %, wing 7, tail 9, tarsus %. The eggs (4 or 5) 

 measure 1.06 x .92 inch. 



