CLASSIFICATION. 3 



rather different. So we say they are birds of another 

 genus or style. 



Yet it is perfectly obvious that both of these collec- 

 tions of species have much in common there is a fami- 

 ly resemblance between them, as we say. Hence, the 

 Indian green long-tailed Parrakeets, and the Australian 

 many-coloured broad-tailed Parrakeets, are both said 

 to belong to the family Psittacidce. 



The classical name is used in order to make our books 

 intelligible to naturalists all over the world, who may 

 not know our particular language. So, also, we use 

 a special word, compounded from two Greek ones to 

 express the long-tailed green Parrakeets of India 

 Palwornis. This means " the bird of old," these 

 Parrots having been the first known to the ancients, 

 who called them by the name Psittacus, which means 

 Parrot. The word Psittacidos means " the family of 

 Psittacus" the Parrot clan, so to speak. 



The Australian branch of the clan is also designated 

 by a compound Greek name Platycercus, meaning 

 "broad-tailed." This name is of course of modern 

 invention, though on classical lines. 



In order to designate the species, a specific name, 

 generally Latin, is tacked on to the name of the genus. 

 Thus, the Rose-ringed Parrakeet is called Palceornis 

 torquatus, torquatus meaning "ringed. ' : The plum-head- 

 ed is called Pakcornis cyanocephalus, cyanocephalus (which 

 happens to be Greek) meaning blue-headed. 



Similarly, the most familiar species of broad-tailed 

 Australian Parrakeet, known in English as the Rosella, 



