Zoology of New Holland/Nonpareil parrot

THE vast Isand or rather Continent of Australia, Australasia, or New Holland, which has so lately attracted the particular attention of European navigators and naturalists, seems to abound in scenes of peculiar wildness and sterility; while the wretched natives of many of those dreary districts s less elevated above the inferior animals than in any other part of the known world; Caffaria itself not excepted; as well as less en​dued with the power os promoting a comsortable existence by an approach towards usesul arts and industry. It is in these savage regions however that Nature seems to have poured forth many of her most highly ornamented products with unusual liberality: where, in particular, she appears to have stationed birds, superior perhaps in elegance to those of most other climes; and which display their richly-varied plumage in scenes unknown to mankind in a civilised state, and where their beauties can only be contemplated by the eyes os barbarians.

Amidst the number os these admired animals, the species represented on the annexed plate may justly claim a distinguished place. It may indeed be doubted whether any bird can exhibit a plumage more elegant, or colours os a nobler hue. These are so accurately expressed on the plate, as well as mentioned in the specisic character, that it becomes unnecessary to particularise them here. It therefore remains only to add, that the size of this species is equal to that os the Pennantian, or Splendid Parrot, to which it is also nearly allied in shape and general disposition of colours.