The female cannot be distinguished from the male. The young ones develop the adult plumage at a 

 very early age. 



Bgg Very round, of a beautiful pure white colour, slightly polished. Length, twelve lines and 

 three-quarters ; breadth, ten lines and three-quarters. 



Habitats : Wide Hay District (Queensland), Kichmond and Clarence River Districts (New South Wales), 

 Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, West and South-west Australia. (Bam my.) 



PEZOPORUS (GEOPSITTACUS) OCCIDENTALS. {Gould.) 



WESTERN G EOl ND - PA BRAKE ET. Genus: Pezoporus. 



OF this singular bird very little is known. In plumage it closely resembles Pezoporus formosm, and might 

 pass as an immature specimen, but there the likeness ends. In every other particular it is so different that 

 Gould decided to consider it the representative of a distinct genus, and called it Geopsittacus. When we 

 examine it closely we find that the pose of the body is more inclined to the perpendicular and wanting in the even 

 balance of the Ground Parrot ; the tail half the length, and the wings folding under instead of overit; the head 

 is disproportionately large ; the nostrils high and round ; the tarsi and toes short and delicate; and the nails 

 unusually small, in comparison with those of other Parrakeets ; in short, there is the difference between a 

 remarkably graceful bird and a short dumpy one. 



Gould was inclined to think it related in a slight degree to the Strigops ; and now that later information 

 has been obtained, we find his surmise was not altogether incorrect, for Dr. Mueller caught a specimen in 

 the Gawler Ranges, to the westward of the head of Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia, and by observing its habits 

 was able to prove that it is nocturnal, living during the day in the rocks and caves of the ranges, and issuing forth 

 at night in search of food. Apparently it never perches, but moves in a series of jumps, after the fashion of a 

 sparrow ; occasionally this is changed for a rapid dashing race up and down the cage. It makes no sound 

 except a low whistle. Its food is grasses and grass seeds. Total length, ten inches. 



All the upper surfaces, grass green, each feather crossed by irregular bands of black and greenish yellow; 

 feathers of the crown and nape having a black streak down the centre of each; throat and breast, yellowish green, 

 becoming yellow on the abdomen ; wings, brown ; the outer edge of primaries and secondaries fringed with a 

 greenish hue, and have an oblique yellow mark near the base ; tail, brown, toothed on the edge with yellowish 

 green ; under tail coverts, yellow, with narrow irregular lines of blackish brown ; nostrils, large bluish grey ; eyes, 

 round and full and jet black ; feet, flesh colour. (Gould.) 



Habitats : Victoria and South- Western Australia, West and South-West Australia. 



