pioxus. 329 



212. Pionus menstruus. 

 Red-vented Parrot. 



Fsiffaciis 7nenstruus Linn. Srst. Nat. 12th ed. i. p. 148, 1766 (Sminam) ; 



Cab. in Scliomb. Reis. Griiian. iii. p. 723, no. 263, 1S4S. 

 Pionus menstruus Sah-in, Ibis, 1SS6, p. 69 (Bartica Grove, Camacusa, 



Merume Mts., Eoraima) ; Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xx. p. 822, 



1891 ; Beebe, Our Search for a Wilderness, p. 157, 1910 (AVaini) ; 



Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 91, no. 857, 1912. 

 ? Psiffacus maximiliani Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 723, 



no. 264, 1848. 

 ? Caica maximiliani Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 70. 



Adult male. Entire back, wings, abdomen, axillaries, and under 

 wing-coverts green ; upper wing-coverts golden-green ; entii-o 

 head, neck all round, throat, sides of face, and breast blue ; ear- 

 coverts black; under tail-coverts and base of tail red, tips of the 

 former green ; upper and under surface of tail more or less blun 

 at the tip. " Bill blackish, with red patch at the base of upper 

 mandible; cere greyish; feet grey; iris brown, '^ 



Total length 255 mm., culmen "2^, wing 18G, tail 80, tarsus 17. 



The male described was collected on the Kamakabra River. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but apparently rather 

 smaller. Wing 175 mm. 



According to Count Salvador!, the young bird is " greener on tlie 

 head, neck, and upper Ijreast, where the blue colour on the edges 

 of the feathers is less developed than in the adult birds — sometimes 

 a pinkish band mixed \^ ith blue on the forehead.'' 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



I\est. The nests are placed in holes in trees (ScJiomhurgk). 



Eags. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Mount Roraima, Upper Takutu Moun- 

 tains, Ituribisi River, Kamakabra River, Bonasika River, Makauria 

 River, Anarica River {McConnell collection') ; Bartica, KamaKUsa, 

 Merume Mountains [Whitelij) ; Waini River {Bcehe). 



Extralimital Range. Surinam (Linne), Venezuela, C*ulombia, 

 ?N.W. Ecuador, East Peru, ]irazil. 



Habits. According to Schomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii, p, 7215, 

 no. 2G3) this bird is found in the woods tlirougliout British 

 (iuiana. In St'i)tcmber and <.)ctober it migrates in hirge flocks 

 towards tlie woods near the coast, w hero it feeds on the ripe fruit 



