Genus — N EONANODES. 
Neonanodes Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 279, 
1912 . . . . . . . . . . . . Type N. chrysogaster. 
Smallest Platycercine birds with small bills, long wings, long wedge-shaped 
tails and small feet. 
The bill is very small, a little projecting, the tip moderately sharp, the 
under edge of mandible not notched : the under mandible small and broad. 
The cere consists of two circular fleshy excrescences on each side the culmen 
ridge, close together, the circular minute openings showing from above. 
The wing has the first primary longest, but little exceeding the second, 
the third not much less, the remainder rapidly decreasing. The outer primaries 
scarcely scalloped, only showing on second and third and very slightly on 
first on outer edge of webs only. 
The tail is slightly longer than the wing, wedge shaped, the feathers 
narrow and attenuate ; the middle four are longest and equal, the next two 
decidedly shorter and rest decreasing regularly. The legs are small and 
delicate. 
This and the succeeding genus show six species very closely allied and 
the smallest Parrakeets in Australia. They constitute a very well-marked 
character of the Australian Avifauna, being confined to the Southern portion 
of the continent, members of the next genus reaching, however, into South 
Queensland. They appear to be Platycercine birds, but they are well differen- 
tiated in colour and structure from all the others as well as in their small size. 
They appear to be rapidly decreasing, so that while members of the present 
genus still exist in small numbers, the succeeding genus seems to have already 
become extinct. This is the more remarkable as one of the latter was fifty 
years ago the commonest species. 
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