KUPHEMA SPLENDIDA, Gowa.
Splendid Grass Parrakeet.

Euphema splendida, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 147.

 

 

Ir is a source of much regret to me, that I am unable to give more than a very slight notice of the beautiful
bird that forms the subject of the present Plate. The single specimen from which my description was Mit
taken came into my possession in 1840, unfortunately without any other information accompanying it than |
that it was a native of Swan River; from that period no other example occurred until 1845, when several |
fine specimens were transmitted to me by the late Mr. Johnson Drummond, who had killed them near

Moore’s River in Western Australia, and from whom I should doubtless have received some particulars

respecting the habits of this lovely species, had he not been treacherously murdered by a native in his com-

pany, while engaged in seeking for materials for this and my other works on the Fauna of Australia.

The Splendid Grass Parrakeet 1s in every respect a true Hwphema, and has many characters in common
with the . pulchella, but differs from that species in the entire absence of the chestnut mark on the
shoulders, in the more intense blue of the face, and in the gorgeously rich scarlet colouring of the chest ; |
and is rendered remarkably conspicuous by the brilliant display of the three primitive colours—blue, red
and yellow—on its face, breast and abdomen.

The male has the face and ear-coverts deep indigo-blue, becoming paler on the latter; all the upper
surface grass-green; upper wing-coverts beautiful lazuline blue ; under wing-coverts deep indigo-blue ; |
primaries and secondaries black ; the first three or four primaries slightly margined with green; two
centre tail-feathers dark green ; the remaining tail-feathers black on the internal webs, green on the external
webs and largely tipped with bright yellow, which increases in extent as the feathers recede from the
centre; chest rich deep scarlet ; under surface yellow, passing into green on the sides of the chest and
flanks. NP

The female differs in having the face and wing-coverts, both above and beneath, of a pale lazuline blue,

and in the chest being green instead of scarlet. |
The Plate represents two males and a female on a branch of Beaufortia decussata, one of the plants of |

Western Australia.