_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
POLYTELIS MELANURA.
Black-tailed Parrakeet.
_Palæornis melanura_, Vig. in Lear’s Ill. Psitt., pl. 28, male.
—— _anthopeplus_, Vig. in Ib., pl. 29, female.
_Polytelis melanura_, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
_Woȕk-un-ga_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.
_Jul-̏u-up_, Aborigines of King George’s Sound.
_Mountain Parrot_, Colonists of Western Australia.
So little is known of the habits and economy of this beautiful
Parrakeet, which has hitherto only been found on the southern portion of
the continent of Australia, that the present paper must necessarily be
brief. It is strictly an inhabitant of the interior, over which it
doubtless ranges widely. Captain Sturt found it on the banks of the
Murray, and has given a figure of it in the narrative of his journeys
into the interior; His Excellency Governor Grey procured it in the dense
scrub to the north-west of Adelaide, and Mr. Gilbert encountered it in
the white-gum forests of the Swan River settlement. The extent of its
range northward must be left for future researches to determine. Captain
Sturt at page 188 of his second volume says, “I believe I have already
mentioned that shortly after we first entered the Murray, flocks of a
new Paroquet passed over our heads, apparently emigrating to the N.W.
They always kept too high to be fired at, but on our return, hereabouts,
we succeeded in killing one. It made a good addition to our scanty stock
of subjects of natural history.” I believe I am indebted to the kindness
and liberality of Captain Sturt for the identical specimen alluded to, a
very fine one having been presented to me by him when I visited South
Australia.
While flying it utters a loud harsh scream, which is changed into a
chattering discordant tone upon alighting on the branches.
Mr. Gilbert remarks, that in Western Australia, except during the
breeding-season, it is always to be met with in small families of from
nine to twelve in number, feeding on seeds, buds of flowers and honey
gathered from the white-gum-tree. Its flight, as indicated by its form,
is rapid in the extreme. On reference to the synonyms given above, it
will be seen that the late Mr. Vigors characterized the female as a
distinct species from the male. Both sexes are beautifully figured in
Mr. Lear’s “Illustrations of the Psittacidæ,” on reference to which and
to the accompanying Plate, it will be seen that they differ very
considerably in colour, the rich jonquil-yellow of the male giving place
to dull yellowish green in the opposite sex, whence doubtless arose Mr.
Vigors’s error.
The male has the head, neck, shoulders, rump, and all the under surface
beautiful jonquil-yellow; upper part of the back and scapularies olive;
primaries and tail deep blue; several of the greater wing-coverts dull
scarlet, forming a conspicuous mark on the centre of the wing; irides
bright red; bill scarlet; feet ash-grey.
The female has the head, sides of the face, back of the neck, upper part
of the back and scapulars dull olive-green; throat, all the under
surface, rump and wing-coverts yellowish green, the latter passing into
deep green on the centre of the shoulder; primaries, some of the
secondaries, and the spurious wing deep blue-black, margined externally
with yellowish green; the remainder of the secondaries and a few of the
greater coverts deep red; two centre tail-feathers deep green, the
remainder green at the base, passing into black on the inner webs; the
five lateral feathers on each side margined on their inner webs and
tipped with rosy red, which is broadest and most conspicuous on the two
outer feathers; bill scarlet; feet ash-grey.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration: