1889-] LAWRENCE, Abnormal Coloring of Birds’ Plumage. 49 
in the upper plumage, of all normally colored birds, pervades 
nearly the entire plumage of this specimen. All the usually 
light markings are tinged with bright light rufous; the entire 
under plumage is deep rufous; the dark bars and the under 
tail coverts are of the usual color; the neck tufts are deep rufous 
tipped with black, none of the feathers being light buff as some of 
them are in normally colored birds; the throat is tinged with 
rufous. It was in good condition, weighing 24 pounds. The 
rufous coloring of this specimen may be due to the same cause as 
in the preceding cases, but perhaps it is open to doubt. 
The inference seems a fair one, that sometimes from some un- 
known cause, a certain color which is normal in a species, or in 
one of the parents, is concentrated in one individual of a brood, 
to the exclusion of it from the others. 
The great change of plumage—which was a gradual one—in 
the bird about to be described, is due to a very different cause. 
Several years ago, a green Parrot was received at the Central 
Park Menagerie, to which Mr. Conklin called my attention, as it 
was marked with a few conspicuous scarlet and yellow feathers. 
As it was in one of their large wire enclosures, I could not 
examine it closely, and for some time was unable to determine the 
species. I found it to be an example of Chrysotzs vittata, the 
body of which in its normal plumage is entirely green, except that 
it has a narrow band of scarlet on the front. I watched it with 
much interest, as I found that most of the feathers were gradually 
changing color. It was two or three years before it died, when 
Mr. Conklin sent it to me. By that time the scarlet and yellow 
coloring had increased so much as to occupy the entire plumage 
of the body, except the head and neck, and these are marked with 
scattering feathers of scarlet. If it had lived a little longer all its 
plumage would probably have been scarlet and yellow, except the 
wing and tail feathers. The scarlet coloring much exceeds 
that of the yellow; the specimen is of brilliant plumage. 
Dr. A. B. Meyer has an article (Sitzungb. K6n. Preuss. Akad. 
Wissensch. Berlin, 1882, No. 24) on this change of plumage, 
which he terms ‘‘xanthochromism in Parrots.” In referring to 
this paper the editors of the Ibis (1883, p. 116) say: ‘‘Hence 
xanthochromism in Parrots seems, to a certain extent, to supplant 
the albinism of other birds.” 
