THE YELLOW-BANDED PARRAKEET 219 



GG'}ius Barnardius, 



Key to the Species. 

 A yellow collar on the nape. 



a. Head verditer-green, with a broad brown-green 



crescent from the occiput to the eyes; forehead 



red. E. barnardi. 



b. Head brown-black. 



a'. Frontal band red; abdomen green, larger, B. semitorquatus, 



b'. No frontal red band, sometimes slight indication; 



abdomen pale yellow-green; smaller. B. zonarius. 



»;. Light-blue cheeks, greater extent of lemon-yellow on 



the lower portion of the breast and abdomen. B. occidentalis. 



The Mallee Parrakeet. 



Barnardius liarnardi. 



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



Chest, abdomen, central portion of the wing, and rump verditer-green; 

 lower part of the cheeks bluish; back dark bluish-grey; centre of abdomen 

 crossed by broad yellow band; primaries black, with outer webs deep 

 blue; under wing-coverts blue; two central tail-feathers deep green, 

 passing into deep blue at the base. Total length 14 inches, wing 6.5, tail 

 7.2, bill 0.8, tarsus 0.8. Female smaller and duller, and back more green 

 The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.21 x .94 inch. 



This beautiful bird is usuallj' found in pairs or small flocks 

 and, in Victoria, mostly in the "Wimmera district. 



The Yellow-collared Parrakeet. 



Barnardius semitorquatus. 



Western Australia. 



Green; cheek feathers and ear-coverts tipped with blue, broad yellow 

 collar on the lower nape; upper breast dark green with a bluish tinge; 

 primary-coverts and base of outer webs of the primaries deep blue, quills 

 black underneath; two central tail-feathers deep green. Total length 

 17 inches, wing 8, tail 8.5, bill 1.06, tarsus 0.92. The female is duller 

 and smaller than the male. The eggs (6 to 9) measure 1.23 x 1.0 inch. 



This bird is commonly called the "Twenty-eight" parrot, 

 as its call during its flight is something like those words. It is 

 mostly found in the Southern districts. 



The Yellow-banded Parrakeet. 



Barnardius zonarius. 



Interior of South Australia, South-west and Western Australia. 



Very like P. semitorquatus, but smaller. Total length 15 inches, wing 

 6.9, tail 8, bill 0.83, tarsus 0.77. The eggs (4 to 8) measure 1.21 x .92 

 inch. 



This bird is locally called the Port Lincoln Parrot, and is 

 generally found inland. 



