For the information of His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, I have the honour to report to you my return to Adelaide, after an absence of twelve months and thirteen days; and I herewith beg to hand you my chart and journals of the Expedition from which I have just returned.
To you, Sir, and the Government, my especial thanks are due for the liberal manner in which the supplies were voted, and for the kind and ready assistance I at all times experienced. Also to George Hamilton, Esquire, Chief Inspector of Police, for the efficient manner in which my party was fitted out. The original promoters of my various expeditions, Messrs. James Chambers and William Finke, have always shown the most lively interest in my success, to which they cheerfully contributed. How much I regret the unexpected decease of the first-named gentleman I need here hardly state, for he was indeed heart and soul in the result, and no one would have felt so proud of my success as my much-lamented and best friend James Chambers. To Mr. John Chambers I am also under many obligations for assistance in many instances, and I hereby tender him my best thanks.
I have the honour, etc.,
J.M. STUART.
APPENDIX.
[FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. JUNE 9, 1863.]
ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS FROM CENTRAL AUSTRALIA.
BY JOHN GOULD, F.R.S., ETC.
The Board of Governors of the South Australian Institute having liberally forwarded for my inspection a selection from the ornithological collection made by Mr. Frederick G. Waterhouse during Mr. Stuart's late Exploratory Expedition into Central Australia, I have thought the matter of sufficient interest to bring these birds under the notice of the Society, the more so as it will enable me to make known through our Proceedings a new and very beautiful species of Parrakeet pertaining to the genus Polyteles, of which only two have been hitherto known. Every ornithologist must be acquainted with the elegant P. melanurus and P. barrabandi, and I feel assured that the acquisition of an additional species of this lovely form will be hailed with pleasure. The specific appellation I would propose for this novelty is alexandrae, in honour of that Princess who, we may reasonably hope, is destined at some future time to be the Queen of these realms and their dependencies, of which Australia is by no means the most inconspicuous.