j THE NONPAREIL PARRAKEET. 135 



is of a fine jonquil yellow, with a deep red spot in 

 the middle, and from thence takes a greenish shade 

 as it approaches the tail coverts, and the lower part 

 of the sides on the hypochondria ; the tail coverts 

 and crissum are green. 



The feathers behind the neck, those on the upper 

 part of the back, the scapulars, and the two last 

 feathers of the wing next the back, are of a velvet 

 black, with a border of golden yellow, which skirts 

 the contour, and detaches them in an agreeable 

 manner from each other. The lesser wing coverts 

 are of a rich violet ; those which are near the scapu- 

 lars, and are hid by them, are black, with a yellow 

 border ; the greater wing coverts in front are of a 

 violet blue. The great primary feathers of the 

 wings are of a bright blue on their outer margin, 

 and of a glossy black within, as well as on the under 

 Bide, and the secondaries are of a mixed green and 

 blue on their exterior. 



The tail is imbricated ; the first four external 

 rectrices are of a delicate lilac, which always 

 appear white towards the fronts and edges, and 

 outwardly of a fine pale azure blue ; the interme- 

 diate tail feathers are of a gay green ; the whole of 

 them have black down, both interiorly and exte- 

 riorly, in the part which is hidden by the red coverts 

 above the tail. The lilac colour of the lateral tail 

 feathers, is liable to different gradations, depending 

 on the play of light, so as to appear almost white in 

 one position, whilst in another it seems of the 

 brightest azure blue. The legs are greenish, mixed 



