Part 12

Plyctolophus galeatus, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 302.

Banksianus galeatus, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 181.

Callocephalon Australe, Less.

Callocephalon galeatum, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 68.

Cacatua galeata, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xvii. p. 12.—Ency. Méth., tom. iii. p. 1414.

Psittacus phœnicocephalus, Mus. de Paris.

Gang-gang Cockatoo, Colonists of New South Wales.

The only information I can give respecting this fine species is that it is a native of the forests bordering the south coast of Australia, some of the larger islands in Bass’s Straits, and the northern parts of Van Diemen’s Land, and that it frequents the most lofty trees and feeds on the seeds of the various Eucalypti. A few instances have occurred of its being brought to England alive, where it has borne captivity quite as well as the other members of the great family to which it belongs; thus affording sufficient evidence that the Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchi) would thrive equally well were the experiment made, the form and habits of the two birds being very similar.

The paucity of the account here given will I trust be a sufficient hint to those who may be favourably situated for observing the habits of this species, that by transmitting their observations either to myself or to any scientific journal, they would be promoting the cause of science, and adding to the stock of human knowledge.

The sexes are readily distinguished by the marked difference in their plumage; both are crested, but the crest of the male is a rich scarlet, while that of the female is grey.

The male has the forehead, crest and cheeks fine scarlet, the remainder of the plumage dark slate-grey; all the feathers, with the exception of the primaries, secondaries and tail, narrowly margined with greyish white—decided and distinct on the upper, but much fainter on the under surface; irides blackish brown; bill light horn-colour; feet mealy black.

The general plumage of the female is dark slate-colour, the feathers of the back of the neck and back slightly margined with pale grey, the remainder of the upper surface crossed with irregular bars of greyish white; the wings have also a sulphurous hue, as if powdered with sulphur; the feathers of the under surface are margined with sulphur-yellow and dull red, changing into dull yellow on the under tail-coverts.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

POLYTELIS BARRABANDI.

J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp. ]

POLYTELIS BARRABANDI, Wagl. Barraband’s Parrakeet.

Psittacus Barrabandi, Swains. Zool. Ill., 1st Ser., pl. 59.

Palæornis Barrabandi, Vig. in Zool. Journ., vol. ii. p. 56.—Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 287.

Polytelis Barrabandi, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., pp. 489 and 519.—Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

Scarlet-breasted Parrot, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 121.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 121.

Palæornis rosaceus, Vig. in Lear’s Ill. Psitt., pl. 30, female.

Psittacus sagittifer Barrabandi, Bourj. de St. Hil., Supp. to Le Vaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr., pl. 4.

Green-leek of the Colonists of New South Wales.

In the great family of Parrots, few species are more elegant in form or more exquisitely coloured than the present, which is a native of New South Wales, where it is more abundant in the interior than in the districts near the coast. It is said sometimes to occur in the Illawarra district, but I did not succeed in finding it there myself. Living individuals are frequently brought down to Sydney by the draymen of the Argyle county, where it appears to be a common species. When we know more of its history I expect it will be found to inhabit similar localities, and enjoy a similar range to the P. melanura, and that the two species as closely assimilate in their habits and economy as they do in form. It is somewhat singular, that the female of this bird, as well as that of the preceding species, should have been described by the late Mr. Vigors as distinct; fine figures of both form part of Mr. Lear’s “Illustrations of the Psittacidæ”; the singular curve in the outer tail-feathers in Mr. Lear’s drawing of the female arises from their being newly moulted feathers, which in this species have always a tendency to curve outwards, at least such is the case with individuals kept in confinement.

From the length of its wings and the general contour of its body, we may feel assured that, like the P. melanura, its power of flight is very great, and that it is doubtless enabled to pass from one part of the continent to another whenever nature prompts it to make the passage.

The female, although equally graceful in form as her mate, is nevertheless much inferior to him in the colouring of her plumage; the green of the wings and body being less brilliant, and the rich colouring of the crown and cheeks being entirely wanting; a similar kind of plumage also characterizes the male during the first year.

The male has the forehead, cheeks and throat rich gamboge-yellow; immediately beneath the yellow of the throat a crescent of scarlet; back of the head, all the upper and under surface grass-green; primaries, secondaries, spurious wing and tail dark blue tinged with green; thighs in some scarlet, in others grass-green; irides orange-yellow; bill rich red; feet brown.

The female has the face dull greenish blue; chest dull rose-colour; thighs scarlet; the remainder of the body grass-green; primaries bluish green; central tail-feathers uniform green, the remainder bluish green, with the inner webs for their entire length fine rosy red; irides brown; bill pale reddish orange; feet dark brown.