214 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



This Parrot is a rare bird in the middle portion of 

 Damara Land ; but further north, at Okamabute, it is 

 common, and also in the Lake-regions; with the occa- 

 sional exception of a few stray individuals, it does not 

 occur further south than Omabonde, which may be said 

 to constitute its usual southern limit. Its habits and 

 notes closely resemble those of the succeeding species, 

 P. Euppelli. 



The irides are deep bright red-orange ; the bare skin 

 surrounding the eye is black ; the bill darkish horn- 

 colour, with a tinge of green ; the legs and toes greenish 

 black. 



Measurements of a male and a female : 



Male. Female, 



in. lin. in. lin. 



Entire length 94 90 



Length of folded wing ..61 61 



tarsus ....08 09 



middle toe ... 1 7 19 



tail 30 30 



biU 09 09 



[This species is subject, in both sexes, to a variation of colour 

 in the plumage of the head, an irregular bar of pale yellow, 

 which transversely crosses the crown, being present in some 

 specimens and entirely absent in others. ED.] 



258. PoicephalllS Ruppelli (Gray). RuppelTs Parrot. 

 Psittacus Ruppelli, Gray, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, pi. 5. 

 Pceocephalus Riippetti, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 



Orn. 1852, p. 156. 



Psittacus Ruppelli, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 

 Phaocephalus Riippettii, Hartl. Orn. West- Africa's, No. 503. 

 Poicephalus RuppeUii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8286. 

 Psittacus Rueppelli, Sharpe's Cat. No. 169. 



This species is common in Damara Land, but is 



