Zoological Illustrations/VolII-Pl73



pulchellus,

Turcosine Parrakeet.

—See Pl. 1.


 * P. macrourus, suprà viridis, subtùs fulvus; sincipite, genis, tegminibusque cyaneis, remigibus cæruleis; rectricibus lateralibus fulvis.


 * Long-tailed Parrakeet, green above; yellow beneath; forepart of the head, cheeks, and wing covers light blue; quills deep blue; lateral tail feathers yellow.


 * Shaw, Naturalist's Misc. 3. pl. 96. Latham, Suppl. 2. p. 88. no. 14.


 * La Perruche Edwards, Le Vaillant, pl. 68. (female). Gen. Zool. 8, 470.

It is impossible to represent this superbly coloured little creature in its full beauty, though the figure will not be found very defective. The only representation of the male is in the Naturalist's Miscellany, where it cannot be recognized, and Le Vaillant's is of the female, which differs considerably from the other sex. It is a rare species, and peculiar to New Holland.

Length nine inches, with the tail, which is near four inches and a half; the upper part of the plumage olive green, not so bright as is usual in this tribe; the front of the head is a most brilliant turcosine blue, which spreads on the cheeks, nearly to the ears, and then mixes with the green; the shoulders and lesser wing covers of the same colour, graduating to a deep mazarine blue on the greater covers, spurious wings, and quill feathers, which latter are all deep black beneath, as well as on their interior shafts; at the base of the shoulders is a large irregular patch of dull red, partially hid by the scapulars; the under plumage is yellow, tinged with olive on the throat and breast, and verging towards orange on the belly; tail feathers narrow and pointed, mostly green, with the inner shafts blueish, and margined with black; the three outer on each side nearly yellow, the next tipt only with that colour; under the wings brilliant blue, the greater covers and quills deep black; bill very small; upper mandible without a notch, and blackish; lower very convex, and, with the legs, flesh colour.

The female figured by Le Vaillant is much less brilliant in all its colours, and without the red mark on the shoulders.