530 REVIEW OF GENUS PSITTACULA. 



closely allied to tropical South America in its flora aud fauna, cau actu- 

 ally be everywhere without a represeutativeof a genus which reappears 

 in western ^Mexico. 



As to the second question, I must confess myself greatly perplexed 

 by conllicting evidence, i. e., the positive statement, on the one hand, 

 of Carl Ivuss, wiio has reared P. panscr'nia in captivity, and who posi. 

 tively affirms that the young male when first feathered has the rump 

 and part of the wings blue, as in the adult male, and, on the other hand, 

 the existence of specimens among nearly all the species which I have 

 examined which are in various degrees intermediate in plumage be- 

 tween the uniformly green female and the particolored adult male; 

 some of these intermediate specimens being like the female except that 

 the secondaries are blue, others having in addition scattered bright blue 

 feathers on the rump and among the under wing-coverts. The only ex- 

 planation which I am able to offer is that continement may cause the 

 birds to assume at once a plumage which in the wild state is acquired 

 gradually, or else that the female may occasionally partially assume the 

 plumage of the male. Certain it is that P. passerina itself (the species 

 up(m wliich IJuss's assertion is based) does exhibit thi« intermediate or 

 apparently transitional plumage, as is shown further on. 



Russ's observations are as follows : 



The y:)uiig [of P. 2)asser'nia'\ wheu leaving the uest are only slightly .smuller tliau 

 the old ones; the plumage is more tender and not so dense, bnt (|uite fully colored 

 aud nearly similar to that of the old ones. The blue on the under side of the wing 

 and on the rump, by whicli the male is distinguished, appears quite as A'ivid and 

 deep, but these contour feathers are still rather thin, so that the greenish-white 

 ground-color shows through, whicb is not the case with the old male; uor doestherich 

 l)lue appear yet on the upper margin of the wing or upper part of the rump. It is to 

 be remarked that the oldest young ones commenced to iialr after five mouths [i. c, 

 when fiv« months old], but the male had not yet obtained the blue wing-margins. 

 The full aud deep blue Avas attained in tlie ninth mouth. (Jour. fiir. Orn., 1868, p. 

 213; translation.) 



Eleven years later he describes the young birds of the same species 

 as follows : 



Young male, green like the adult ; blue of the rump and liming of the wing equally 

 vivid and deep, but these coveriug feathers so thin [i. e., loose- webbed?] that the 

 greenish white of their bases shows through ; on the lower back and on the edge of 

 the wing there has not yet appeared any full, rich blue ; eye, black ; bill and feet 

 like those of the old male, only more bluish. Young female quite similar to the 

 adult, except that the last remigcs and their coverts are margined at their tips with 

 blackish ; the entire upper surface (perhaps), but particularly the under surface, 

 somewhat stronger and darker green. Transition plumage : The lifth mouth, the 

 edge of the wing in the young male is not yet blue; but it becomes so after nine 

 mouths. (Frcmdl. Stuhawogely iii, 1879, ^i. 393 ; translation.) 



Without accepting the alternative theories that (1) birds reared in 

 captivity assume much earlier than those in the wild state the distinct- 

 ive plumage of the male, (2j that some males do and others do not at 

 once assume this plumage, or (3) that some females partiall}' assume the 

 male plumage, it is very diflicult to reconcile Dr. Euss's statements 



