Forbes. — On Platycercus erytlirotis. 191 



Tarsus 



Tibia 



Femur 



Humerus 



Ulna 



The width between the extreme edges of the uhia and radius 

 is more than twice as great in the Antipodes as in the New 

 Zealand bird. 



The Antipodes Island specimen is therefore, though nearly- 

 related to P. nova-zealandice, a larger-boned bird. Sir Walter 

 BuUer, in his " History of the Birds of New Zealand," says that 

 " Dr. Finsch is of opinion that P. {Gyanorliamphus) saissetti, 

 Verr., is inseparable from his species [P. nova-zealandice] . On 

 comparing a specimen sent by Mr. Edgar Layard from New 

 Caledonia to the Otago Museum, I find that the bird differs 

 from P. novce-zcalandicB only in having the sides of the face, 

 throat, breast, and under -parts generally greenish -yellow, 

 deepening into grass-green on the sides of the body and on 

 the flanks. If, however, this is a constant character, I accept 

 it as specific" (vol. i., p. 139). In the Ibis for 1879, p. 110, 

 Mr. Layard, in writing of G. saissetti, says, "It closely re- 

 sembles Platycercus novcB-zealandice, Sparrm. ; . . . but 

 on comparing it with specimens of that bird it is at once seen 

 to be larger, has a yellower green on the under-side of the 

 body, a bluer tinge on the upper side of the tail-feathers, and 

 these last are rounded at the ends, not pointed as in the 

 former." The present specimen unfortunately lacked its tail. 

 The predominance of the yellower shade in the green would 

 appear, from what I have said above, to be a constant charac- 

 ter ; so also would the larger size. I believe, therefore, the 

 Antipodes Island parrakeet to be the same as that found 

 in New Caledonia — i.e, Cyanorhamplius saissetti, Verr. On 

 examining the synonymy of this bird, I find it to be as fol- 

 lows : — 



Platycercus erythrotis, Wagl., 1825. 



P. (Cyanorhamjjhus) saissetti, Verr., 1860. 



P. novce-zealandice, Buller, nee Sparrm. 



P. novce-zealandice, Finsch. 



The parrakeet inhabiting Antipodes Island is therefore Pla- 

 tycercus erythrotis, "Wagl.; and it is found also in New Cale- 

 donia, the Macquaries, and Norfolk Island. It will be in- 

 teresting to ascertain whether the species found abundantly 

 on the Campbell Islands, as reported by Mr. Chapman, is the 

 larger and yellower-green species or the true P. novce-zealandice. 



