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.