Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 112



The discovery of this remarkable and highly interesting Australian species is due to Allen Cunningham, Esq. who, on an inland expedition ordered by our government, in 1827, discovered it in small flocks on the arid sandy plains between Lat. 29 and 28, 50. Long. 150¾ E. We must again express our public thanks to this intelligent and liberal naturalist for the ornithological specimens then collected. Among these were two skins of the bird in question; but as the mere addition of a new species to our already overwhelming list would be of little importance to the philosophy of the science, we have hitherto refrained from publishing it. In truth, the natural affinities of this extraordinary Cockatoo-Parrakeet called for a much deeper investigation of the whole family than it had yet received, nor are we ashamed to confess that nearly five years elapsed before we could partially accomplish this, with any thing like satisfactory results. But we regret not the delay, since it is obvious that the illustration of such an apparently anomalous form as this, is infinitely more useful to science than the specification, in a few lines, of a hundred new species, or even of as many new genera, unaccompanied by analytical or comparative results. The time, in fact, is now gone by, when such crude additions to ornithological nomenclature, possess any claim to permanent interest, or carry with them any authority: they encumber rather than advance science, by keeping up the already overwhelming stock of undigested materials. Mr. Lear has recently given beautiful figures of this species, but under the peculiarly inappropriate name of Palæornis Novæ-hollandiæ. The genus is Platycercus, all the species of which are from New Holland, excepting those of the Fissirostral type. The exactness of our figure renders a detailed account of its plumage unessential.