408 MESSRS. LAYARD ON A NEW PARROT. [May 2, 



4. Description of a new Species of Parrot of the Genus 

 Nymphicus. By Edgar L. Layard, C.M.G., F.Z.S.^ &c., 

 H.B.M. Consul, and E. Leopold C. Layakd, Vice-Consul 

 at Noumea, New Caledonia. 



[Eeceived April 28, 1882.] 

 (Plate XXVI.) 



"We have had in our possession for some time a pair of Parrots 

 ( (S and 5 ) wnich we have unaccountably overlooked, mistaking 

 them for immature birds of Nymphicus cornutus. A better acquain- 

 tance with the latter, owing to our having killed many of them, 

 and having had examples of the two species before us at the same time, 

 has caused us to detect the diiferences, and we have much pleasure in 

 introducing this new species to science. 



It is interesting as being confined to the small island of Uve'a, 

 one of the Loyalties, which is perhaps, strictly speaking, a series of 

 small islets, joined together by a connecting reef, having a lagoon 

 in the centre. We presume, though we have no certain knowledge, 

 that the bird is found chiefly on the large or main island, which 

 faces Lifou, and it is very remarkable that it does not extend to that 

 island. A friend, however, wrote us word, some months since, that, 

 after the hurricane at the beginning of last year, "crested Parrots" 

 had appeared in Lifou. We will make further inquiries now our 

 attention is turned to the subject, and find out to which species they 

 belong ; we had set them down as N. cornutus of course. The 

 Parrot common on Lifou is, as we have already shown, Trichoglossus 

 massena, Bp. {cf. Ibis, 1879, p. 185, &c.). 



Nymphicus uvceensis, as we propose to call this new species (from 

 the locality where it is found), may be thus described : — Closely re- 

 sembling N. corwM^Ms, but wanting the red head, orange occiput, and 

 nuchal collar, and exhibiting only the faintest trace, if at all (in some, 

 not at all), of the orange on the rump. The crest also is totally dif- 

 ferent. In N. cornutus (Plate XXVI. fig. 1) the crest is usually com- 

 posed of two feathers (we have seen three when one was about to be 

 shed) much elongated ; 2 inches is a good average length ; we have 

 seen specimens (one now hes before us) in which it is 3 inches long. 

 The feathers are black, faintly tinged with green, and broadly tipped 

 with red; they spring from the centre of the broad red cap which 

 covers the whole of the top of the head. 



In N. uvceensis (Plate XXVI. fig. 2) the crest is a bunch of six, short, 

 upturned, and entirely green feathers, springing from the end of a small 

 spot of red, that occupies the centre of the forehead, commencing at 

 the nostrils. The crest-feathers are only an inch and a half long. In 

 N. cornutus the red cap reaches nearly to the eye, from which it is 

 separated by the black of the cheeks, which fills up the space to the 

 bill, and extends under the chin. All this is wanting in N. uvceensis : 

 the black is changed to a dark green, except just on the nostrils, 

 and the ear-coverts and lower part of the cheeks are bright green. 



