PLATYCERCUS HEMATOGASTER, Gowid.

Plat. fronte facieque ceruleis ; summo capite, nucha, plumisque auricularibus flavescenti-cinereis ; pectore cinereo tincto
brunneo ; plumis auricularibus ad partem supertorem stramineis ; uropygio, tectricibusque superioribus caud@e cerinis ;
articulo humeral pallidé ceruleo ; primariis intense fuscis ad apicem acutis ; secondarus tectricibusque majoribus vio-
laceo-ceruleis ; tectricibus minoribus alisque ad partem superiorem intense coccineis ; lateribus tectricibusque inferi-
oribus pallidé flavis ; abdomine medio nitide coccineo ; plumis duabus intermediis caude ad bases pallide olivaceo-
viridibus, ad apices in intense ceruleum transeuntibus ; reliquis plumis ad bases intense ceruleis, ad apices in album
transeuntibus ; rostro corneo ; pedibus fuscis.

Long. tot. 12 unc.; ale, 53; caude, 7; tarsi, 4.

Forehead and face deep ultra-marine blue; crown of the head, back of the neck, ear-coverts, and chest yel-
lowish grey, the grey assuming a brown tint on the chest ; upper portion of the ear-coverts straw yellow ;
rump and upper tail-coverts wax yellow ; point of the shoulders, both on the upper and under surface light
ultra-marine blue; the tips of the primaries pointed, and of a dark blackish brown, except the basal portion
of the external web, which with the secondaries and the greater wing-coverts are rich china blue; lesser
wing-coverts, and all the upper portion of the wing deep saffron yellow ; flanks and under tail-coverts rich
primrose yellow; centre of the abdomen, and in some specimens a portion of the under tail-coverts,) rich
scarlet red; base of the two centre tail-feathers light olive green tinged with oil green, and merging into dark
blue at the tips; the remaining feathers deep china blue at the base, gradually passing into white at the tip ;
bill light horn colour ; feet brown.

Platycercus hematogaster, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V., 1837, p. 88.

 

Turse specimens of this new and lovely species of Platycercus have come under my notice, two of which
were procured by Major Mitchell, Surveyor General of New South Wales, during his researches into the
interior of that country. The specimens collected by this gentleman were subsequently presented by the
Governor to the Museum at Sydney, the British Museum, and the Linnean Society of London. The two
latter specimens appear to be males, and one in my own collection to be a female, which differs from the
male only in having the whole of her markings more obscurely defined, and less vivid in the colouring.
Major Mitchell informs me that they inhabit the scrubs on the banks of the Darling; and that the interior of
the colony was the only locality in which he had observed them: we may consequently conclude that the un-
explored regions of this vast country will still unfold to us many novelties of the highest interest ; and that
as new localities are investigated, additional species will be discovered of this peculiar and richly coloured

group of ground Parrakeets, a form limited to Australia.
Habitat. Interior of New South Wales.