4 
Princess of Wales Parrakeet. 
Macaws. 
PRINCESS OF WALES PARRAKEET. 
Polytelis Alexandra (Gould). 
Synonyms .— 
Trivial Names— Princess of Wales Parrakeet. 
Aboriginal Names .— 
Derivatioti. —Alexandra, in honor of Alexandra, Princess of Wales. 
Habitat. —Central Australia, north-west of P. melanura. 
HIS bird was discovered during Mr. Stewart’s first expedition and attempt to cross the continent 
from south to north. The tract followed by Mr. Stewart was from Adelaide, generally tending 
to N.N.W. No naturalist attended the late Mr. Burke in his successful, but disastrous, journey 
from Cooper’s Creek to Carpentaria, and back. Mr. Burke passed four hundred miles to the 
eastward of Central Mount Stewart. The country, as described, seems likely for such a bird as this; but 
the great hurry with which each day’s journey was made would prevent any minute or special notice being 
taken of the fauna of the country passed through. I think it is therefore to be expected that its range will 
be found to extend along the whole of the well-watered country lying under and about the tropic of Capri¬ 
corn ; and, as our colonists push out and conquer for themselves and for civilization new domains and 
fresh pastures, this exquisitely beautiful bird will become familiar, when it is sure to be a prime favorite, 
not only on account of its charming beauty, but also because it bears the name of a lady well-beloved 
even in these distant lands. 
From personal knowledge I can of course say nothing of its habits; they will, however, be in all 
probability similar to those birds of the same genus already described . 
Description .—“ Forehead, light blue ; cheeks and throat, rose ; head, neck, back, and scapularies, 
olive green ; lower back and rump, blue; shoulders and wing-coverts, yellowish-green ; extreme webs 
of primaries, dull blue; breast and abdomen, grey ; thighs, red; upper tail-coverts, olive, tinged with 
blue; two centre tail feathers, bluish-green; the two next the same, with brown on their inner webs; 
the remainder, outer portion, grey ; central, black ; inner, deep rose ; bill, red ; feet, brown. Size— 
length, 14 in.; bill, -J in. ; wing, 7 in. ; tail, 9 in. ; tarsi, § in.”— Gould. 
