TOWNSEND AND WETMORE: THE BIRDS. 193 



43. ViNi AUSTRALis (Gmelin). 



Psittacus australis Gmelin, Syst. nat., 1788, 1, pt. 1, p. 329. (Samoan Islands). 



Three birds were secured at Niue or Savage Island, 25 November, 

 and four were taken at Upolu in the Samoan Islands. The birds 

 from the two localities appear identical in color and size. It is proba- 

 ble that these small parrots have been carried from island to island 

 as cage-birds. 



44. Choriphilus peruvianus (Miiller). 



Psittacus peruvianus Miiller, Natursyst. Suppl., 1776, p. 80. ("Peru." 

 Based on Buff on. Type-locality is here given as Tahiti, cf. Daubenton, 

 Planches enlum., no. 455, fig. 2). 



There are in the collection four skins of this small parrot from 

 Rangiroa, Paumotu Islands, taken 21, 22, and 23 September, seven 

 from Bora Bora, Society Islands, collected 17 November, and seven 

 from Aitutaki, Cook Islands, secured 21 November. In addition 

 five birds from Bora Bora were preserved as alcoholic specimens. 

 The name Psittacus taitianus (Gmelin) (Syst. nat., 1788. 1, pt. 1, 

 p. 329) has been commonly applied to this parrot with Psittacus 

 peruvianus given as a synonym. As Mtiller's name antedates that 

 used by Gmelin and as there is no ground for supposing that his bird 

 is not this species Psittacus peruvianus must be accepted. Miiller 

 gives Peru as the type-locality which is obviously erroneous. The 

 type-locality is hereby restricted to Tahiti. 



Two male birds from Rangiroa are in immature plumage. In both 

 the breast is blackish. In one a few white feathers show on the ear 

 coverts and throat while in the Qther the cheeks and a spot on the 

 breast are white. The dark immature bird from Tahiti has been 

 described by Sparrman (Mus. Carlson., 1787, fasc. 2, no. 27, pi. 27) as 

 Psittacus cyaficiis. More recently Mr. Scott B. Wilson (Ibis, 1907, 

 p. 379, pi. 8) has named a bird in this same dark plumage from Bora 

 Bora in the Society Group, calling it Coriphilus cyannis. Later (Ibis, 

 1907, p. 653) on learning of the previous use of Psitticus cyaneus by 

 Sparrman, Wilson renamed his bird Coriphilus cyanescens. On refer- 

 ring to his original description and the colored plate accompanying it 

 there can be no question that this is an immature specimen of C. peru- 

 vianus. 



