THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
altogether, but as Campbell had previously observed it and Carter and Whitlock, 
both good field observers, admit it, it can be regarded as a good subspecies. It 
is, however, curious that on the North-west Coast a form should be present 
which is so very close to the present South Australian coastal form. In 
connection with no other Parrot do we get such an occurrence. 
In 1893, North {Rec. Austr. Mus ., V ol. II., p. 83, Sept.) described 
Platycercus occidentalis from two specimens from Roeburne, North-west 
Australia, giving as differential characters: “In the disposition of its markings 
Platycercus occidentals resembles P. zonarius , but it differs from that species 
in having light blue instead of dark blue cheeks ; in the greater extent of the 
conspicuous lemon-yellow of the lower portion of the breast and the whole of 
the abdomen, and which extends as far as the vent , instead of the deep gamboge 
yellow of the centre of the abdomen only ; in the verditer green of the chest, 
back, wings, scapulars and interscapular region, instead of dark green and in 
the absence of the narrow black band, immediately below the collar.” 
Ogilvie-Grant {Ibis, 1910, p. 162) dismissed this altogether, writing : “ I 
have no doubt that B. occidentalis, a name given by North to two specimens 
of Barnardius , procured at Roeburne in the north-western division of West 
Australia, is synonymous with B. zonarius ; the birds procured by Mr 
Shortridge on the Gascoyne River agree well enough with Mr. North’s 
description, being also in worn plumage, but they are most certainly referable 
to B . zonarius 
The specimens referred to by Ogilvie-Grant being preserved in the British 
Museum (Natural History) are “ certainly referable ” to B. zonarius, but they 
are obviously separable as a variation as regards colour, and as other specimens 
agree they constitute a recognisable subspecies, but they do not exactly agree 
with North’s description even as Ogilvie-Grant worded it “ well enough,” but 
that little difference indicates a subspecific value if constant. 
The first discoverer of this form seems to have been A. J. Campbell, as 
he writes {Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, Vol. II., p. 642, 1901) : “ On Boxing 
Day, 1889, when shooting with Mr. R. H. Cowan, on the Greenough River, 
Champion Bay district. West Australia, we heard the peculiar chattering voices 
of Parrots in light metallic tones. We soon shot specimens, which resembled 
the Yellow-banded, yet by their lighter colour and smaller size, seemed different. 
However, on sending an example to the British Museum, Court Salvadori 
classed it with B. zonarius .” 
Mr. Tom Carter’s notes on this form read : Barnardius occidentalis. This 
parrot occurs north of Geraldton, West Australia, and through the North- 
west. They were more numerous in the white gum timber of the Gascoyne 
River bed than any other place that came under my observation, and I think 
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