NYMPHICUS NOVA-HOLLANDIA, Wagi.

Mate. Forehead, crest, and cheeks lemon yellow; ear-coverts rich reddish orange; back of the neck, two
centre tail-feathers, and the external margins of the primaries brownish grey; back, shoulders, all the under-
surface and outer tail-feathers greyish chocolate brown, the shoulders and flanks being the darkest ; a white
mark extends from the shoulders lengthwise down the centre of the wing; bill and bare space round the eye
brownish grey; feet blackish brown.

Femaue. Differs from the male in the colour of the face and crest, being of a dull olive yellow, the latter
becoming still darker at its extremity ; in having the throat greyish brown, and the back lighter than in the
male; the lower part of the abdomen, upper tail-coverts, and tail-feathers yellow, except the four middle
ones, which are grey, the whole transversely and irregularly barred with lines of brown.

Total length, 12 inches; wing, 62; tail, 7; tarsi, barely 2.

Psittacus Nove-Hollandie, Lath., Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 102. Gmel., Linn., vol. i. p. 323.

Crested Parrakeet, Lath., Gen. Syn., vol. i. p. 250. Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. il. p. 174. No. 88. Shaw, Zool., vol. vii.
p. 452.

Paleornis Nove-Hollandia, Lear, Il. Psitt. Pl. 27.

Nymphicus Nove-Hollandig, Wagl., Mon. Psitt. in Abhand, &c., pp. 490 and 522. Selb., Nat. Lib., vol. vi.
Parrots, p. 186, Pl. 30.

Leptolophus auricornis, Swains., Zool. Ill. 2nd. Ser. Pl. 112.

Calopsitta Guy, Less., Il. Zool., vol. iii. 2nd. sp., Pl. 112., female.

 

Tue accompanying Plate of this elegant species is copied by permission from a beautiful lithograph by Mr.
Lear, whose drawing was made from two living birds in the possession of the Countess of Mountcharles.

It will be seen on reference to the synonyms that this bird was known to Dr. Latham nearly forty years ago,
when he published a good description of both sexes under the name of Psittacus Nove-Hollandie : it is only
lately, however, that it has become abundant in the collections of Europe; previous to which specimens were
so rare, that when they became more numerous several modern ornithologists characterized and described the
bird as a new species under various names, but the old appellation of Nove-Hollandie should in my opinion
be retained for it.

A fine example of the female is at this time living in the gardens of the Zoological Society, in excellent

health and in full plumage.
This species has many of the actions of the Platycerci, being extremely active, and running round its cage
with a surprising agility, in which particular it is equalled only by the most terrestrial members of the family.
To give some idea of the immense flocks of this bird which inhabit the interior of Australia, I may mention
that in a letter lately received from my brother-in-law Stephen Coxen, Esq., | am informed that he procured
more than two hundred examples during a single excursion into the interior.

Habitat. New South Wales.

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