THE NOBLE PABEAKEETS. 209 



CHAP. LXXXVI.— THE BLACK-BILLED ALEXANDRINE 

 PARRAKEET. 



Paittacus melanorrhynchus, Wgl. 



The Blach-hilled Alexandrine Parrakeet (Ger., Schwarz- 

 schndbelifier Edelsittich mit votliev Brust, Schwarzschnabel- 

 sittich; Fr., Perruche Alexandre a hec noir ; Dat., Zwartbek 

 Edelparlciet, Smous-of Baardparlcief) — Distinctive Marks. 



By Blyth and Jerdon this species was considered to be the 

 female, or young, of the one just described ; but after it had 

 been described by Wagler, in 1832, from a living specimen in 

 the possession of the King of Bavaria, it was determined by 

 Finsch to be a distinct variety. Eraser also considered it to be 

 a separate species (1850), and described it as such. It bears a 

 strong resemblance to the two foregoing, and can be distin- 

 guished only by the following marks : The narrow band on the 

 forehead and the lorum stripe, as well as the broad stripe on the 

 chin under the lower mandible, deep sooty-black; forehead 

 greenish-blue ; crown of the head violet-blue ; stripe above and 

 below the eye, extending each side as far as the nostril, yellowish- 

 green ; the part behind the eye marked with violet undulatory 

 lines ; the cheeks and the part round the ear blue ; a flesh- 

 coloured stripe extends from the front of the throat round the 

 cheeks as far as the middle of the back of the head ; the nape 

 light yellowish-green ; spot on the shoulder small, oblong, 

 dark olive-greenish yellow ; the reverse side of the tail a dull 

 olive-greenish yellow ; the whole of the upper parts of the body 

 green, the same colour as the two preceding species ; the beak a 

 shining brownish-black ; the cere bluish-grey ; eyes pearl-white ; 

 iris grey, with large black pupils ; feet bluish-grey ; claws bluish 

 horn-grey. Size exactly the same as the Rose-breasted Alex- 

 andrine Parrakeet. 



We have no knowledge as to the country it inhabits nor of 

 its mode of life. Black-billed Alexandrine Parrakeets are fre- 

 quently seen in the market and at bird shows. 



— "-T^^^l^^a^i^ft-a 



