THE NOBLE PARRAKEETS. 203 



CHAP. LXXXir— THE MAURITIUS ALEXANDRINE 

 PARRAKEET. 



Psittacaa eques, Bdd. 



Mauritius Alexandrine ParraJceet (Ger., Halsband-Edelsittich 

 von Mauritius, hreitschivdnziger Halshand-Edelsittich, Ritter- 

 oder Reiter-Edelsittich ; Yr., Perruche Alexandre de VIsle de 

 Maurice ; Dut., Mauritius Edelparkiet) — Description — Rarity 

 — Character in Captivity. 



This species is dark grass.green, without the greyish-green lustre ; 

 a narrow band of blue on the neck ; on both sides of the throat 

 there is a yellowish-vermilion spot ; the stripe on the chin 

 black ; the narrow lores black ; the back and rump are nob 

 bluish, but a bright dark green ; the large feathers on the 

 shoulders, and the small coverts under the wing, are a bright 

 yellow ; the tail feathers are dark green, without the blue lustre ; 

 the inner web a dull yellow ; all the reverse side a dull orange- 

 yellow ; the two central feathers of the tail are slightly pro- 

 longed; all the under part of the body grass-green (the breast 

 without the greyish-green) ; the upper mandible red ; the 

 under mandible blackish-brown ; the eyes light yellow ; the 

 eye cere orange-yellow ; the feet grey ; claws black. The 

 female is similarly marked, but without the band on the throat 

 and the lores lines ; when old, there is a black stripe on the 

 lower cheek ; the beak is uniformly blackish-brown. In the 

 plumage of the young bird all the under part of the body is of 

 pale yellowish-green ; the upper mandible is reddish-brown at 

 the base ; in other respects it resembles the female. The size 

 is somewhat less than that of the species previously described 

 (length, 15in. to 16in.; wings, 6|in. to 6|in. ; the longest 

 feather of the tail, ojin. to 7|in. ; the outer feathers, 2|-in. to 

 3in.). 



It is a native of Mauritius, Although very similar to the 

 preceding species, and chiefly distinguishable by its colour, yet it 

 has been positively asserted by Dr. Finsch and others to be a 

 special variety, and as such I must, of course, treat of it. It 

 was scientifically named by Boddaert, in 1783, and later on 

 described and drawn by Brisson and Buffon. 



The brothers Newton, who are travelled observers, have made 

 a few remarks concerning its life in freedom. According to 

 them, it resembles its congeners, of which mention has previously 



