Band across the forehead half an inch in breadth, scarlet, fading around the eyes, lores and cheeks into pale lemon-yellow, which again gradually blends with the green of the under surface; crown of the head and nape blackish brown; sides of the neck to the shoulders verdigris-green with yellowish reflexions; back greyish brown; rump and upper tail-coverts verditer-blue, the longer coverts with a band of black at their extreme tip; primaries and secondaries black edged with bluish green; shoulders with a spot of rich vermilion; under wing-coverts and edges of the pinions verditer-blue; two middle tail-feathers olive-brown at the base, gradually passing into greenish blue at the tip with olive reflexions; the three outer feathers on each side with a narrow zigzag band of black at about half their length from the base, then greenish blue to the tip, the inner webs fading into white near the extremity; throat and chest yellowish emerald-green, each feather tipped with verditer-blue; middle of the breast and the sides verditer-blue; abdomen and under tail-coverts scarlet; irides dark brown; bill horn-colour, becoming blackish grey at the base; legs and feet yellowish brown.
The figures are of the natural size.
PSEPHOTUS MULTICOLOR.
J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp.
PSEPHOTUS MULTICOLOR.
Many-coloured Parrakeet.
Psittacus multicolor, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 119.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nova Acta, vol. x. p. 55.
Varied Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 182.
Platycercus multicolor, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 283.—Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., vol. i. p. 528.
This species is strictly an inhabitant of the interior of Australia, being-found on the banks of the Lachlan, Murray and Darling, and according to the label attached to the specimen in the Sydney Museum, the neighbourhood of the Pink Hills. It is a true Psephotus and is closely allied to P. hæmatonotus, but differs from that and every other species of the genus in the patches or bands of colour which ornament the head, wings and rump; it is a species I did not meet with myself, and of which no information has been given by those travellers who have visited its native wilds; consequently nothing whatever is known of its habits and economy; it is still a rare bird, and to be found in few collections.
Much variation is found to exist in the colouring of this bird; some individuals having the band across the wing-coverts bright yellow, while in others the same part is tinged with red.