THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
yellowish-white bases and fringes to the feathers ; under wing-coverts blue, the 
greater series and quill lining dark brown ; lower aspect of tail, central feathers 
dark brown, outer feathers pale iridescent blue becoming whitish towards the tips 
of the longer ones. Bill bluish at base, whitish at tip ; eyes brown, feet mealy. 
Total length 310 mm. ; culmen 14, wing 130, tail 170, tarsus 17. Figured. 
Collected in New South Wales and is the type of P. p. dubius. 
Adult female. Lower hind-neck, upper back, scapulars, median and greater upper wing- 
coverts, and innermost secondaries earth-brown, darker and inclining to blackish- 
brown on the marginal coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, outer, median and 
greater coverts, and flight -quills, outer-webs of primary- quills very pale purplish- 
blue, a patch of white on the inner- webs of the flight-quills which commences on the 
third outer primary ; lesser upper wing-coverts red ; rump and upper tail-co'verts 
pale turquoise-blue, the long series of the latter more or less tinged with green ; 
central tail-feathers bronze green becoming blackish at the tips and more or less 
blue on the outer-webs, the outer ones blue with a black band across the short ones 
and white tips to the long ones, which are more or less brown on the inner webs ; 
crown of head and nape blackish-brown, forehead, a narrow line over the eye, and 
sides of hinder crown yellowish-white with red tips to the feathers ; sides of face 
and throat also yellow, the feathers on the hinder face have dark edges ; fore-neck 
and breast yellowish with minute orange and dusky bars ; abdomen, flanks and 
under tail-coverts very pale blue with a slight admixture of red and white ; 
under wing-coverts, axillaries and quills below pale brown, with an irregular band 
of white across the latter ; tail below dark brown on the middle feathers, pale grey 
with white tips on the outer ones. Wing 124 mm. Figured. Collected on Mantua 
Downs, Nogoa River, Queensland, on the 5th of August, 1881. 
Immature male. Crown of head blackish ; sides of the hinder crown and face turquoise 
blue inclining to green towards the throat ; lores and a circle round the eye yellowish, 
minutely dotted with red and intermixed with blue on the upper side ; lower hind- 
neck, back, scapulars, outer edges of the innermost secondaries, and some of the 
median and major upper wing-coverts earth-brown, somewhat darker on the lower 
back and lesser marginal series and becoming blackish on the bastard-wing, 
primary-coverts, and flight-quills ; outer margins of primaries greyish-blue, a 
yellowish-white patch on the inner-webs of the primary- and secondary-quills, 
commencing on the third outer primary- quills ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale 
turquoise blue ; central tail-feathers bronze-green becoming darker and inclining 
to blue towards the tips, the outer ones pale blue with a black band, the long ones 
white on the apical portion and with more or less brown on the inner-webs towards 
the base ; base of fore-head and an oblique patch across the lesser and median 
upper wing-coverts rather deep red ; fore-neck and breast yellowish-grey inter- 
mixed with green, or bluish-green feathers ; abdomen, sides of body, thighs, and 
under tail-coverts paler and more ash-grey with a wash of blue on the upper 
abdomen and sides of the body and intermixed with red on the lower abdomen, 
thighs, and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts dull pale blue, the greater series 
brown like the quill lining, an irregular band of white across the latter ; tail 
below brown, the short outer feathers iridescent blue at the tips, and the long 
ones white on the apical portion. 
Nest. A hollowed-out nest of the white ants (Termites). 
Eggs. Clutch three to five ; white ; 23 mm. by 18-19. 
Breeding -season. August and September. 
It is a matter of deep regret that this “ most beautiful ” Parrot appears to have 
become extinct without any lasting record of its life history being made known. 
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