THE PURPLE PARROT. 131 



name by which the bird is generally known. The beak is 

 strong, curved, and has a sharp tooth a,t the end. The under 

 mandible is angular at the sides, and rounded only in the 

 middle, the colour being horn blue, changing into white at the 

 point ; the iris is yellowish red, the membrane of the beak 

 dark blue. The feet are dark flesh-coloured, or light brown, 

 inclining to white, and very scaly ; the head and rump are 

 dark crimson ; the feathers of the back and shoulders dark red, 

 edged with black. The ground colour of all the feathers is 

 indeed black ; which, however, is entirely concealed only on 

 the head and rump. The throat, as well as the small outer 

 wing coverts, and the edges of the centre pen feathers, are a 

 beautiful bright blue, paler in some places on the wings than 

 in others. The other coverts, as well as the last pen feathers, 

 are black, with a narrow border of crimson, which again is 

 edged on the inside with grass green. The pen feathers are 

 black, the outermost edged with dark blue half way from the 

 root ; the whole under part of the body is crimson, the thighs 

 incline to blue. The tail measures one half of the whole 

 length of the body, is very wedge-shaped, and dark blue. The 

 outer feathers incline to a lighter blue on the inner plume, and 

 at the point to white ; the four centre feathers approach in like 

 manner to dark green. The wings cover a third part of the tail 

 when folded. 



The prevailing colour of the female, which the bird-dealers 

 often call the Palm-bird, and sell as a distinct species, is 

 greenish yellow. It is about the size of the male Sparrow- 

 hawk. The head, the sides of the neck, and half the breast 

 are bright crimson ; the throat is pearl blue, shading to sky 

 blue on the edges. The top of the neck, the back, shoulders, 

 and hindmost pen feathers, are velvety black, all the feathers 

 being edged with greenish yellow. On the shoulders and the 

 neck this border approaches almost to sulphur yellow. The 

 rump and seat are green ; the long under tail coverts are 

 crimson, with yellowish green edges ; the knee bands are tinged 

 with light blue. The under part of the body is a fine light 

 yellow, having, however, upon the feathers some irregular 

 ppots and dashes of red. The root of the tail is green, tike a 

 Duck's neck; in other respects the wings and tail resemble those 

 of the male. 



Observations. These beautiful and scarce Parrots are natives 



K 2 



