178 



where repeat, and it is probably erroneous. Dr. Finsch (in bis book on New Guinea, p. 157, 

 1865) speaks of Waigiou, but tbis is not repeated in bis very excellent work ' Die Papageien.' 



Nothing is known of the habits of this species, and it is not easily obtained, frequenting, 

 as it does, the woods of mountains. Indeed, Rosenberg affirms that it is not met with 

 below 2500 feet. It extends up to about 6000 feet above the sea. The natives in the 

 vicinity of Dorey nevertheless use its feathers as ornaments. 



The interscapular region of the back and the wings are dark green. The entire head 

 and neck are carmine-red, save that there is a transverse blue band across the vertex, 

 bordered behind with a co-extensive, and about as broad, black band. A second, similarly 

 shaped and extended, black band crosses the lower part of the nape, being separated from 

 the more anterior black band by a broad band of the crimson of the surrounding parts 

 interposed. The lower part of the back, the uropygium, and some of the upper tail-coverts 

 are blue. The longer tail-coverts are green. On either side of the blue patch, the rump 

 and the sides of the back are red. The breast, both middle and sides, is crimson, so that 

 there is a patch of yellow on the front part of either side of the breast, and there is also a 

 patch of yellow on either flank. The middle of the abdomen and the thighs are black. The 

 quills are entirely black beneath, but the axillaries and under wing-coverts are red. The 

 middle feathers of the tail are dark green, becoming yellowish red towards the tip ; 

 the lateral tail-feathers are red at the base of the inner web and green on the edge of the 

 outer web, becoming yellow towards the point. Bill orange-red ; feet orange ; iris yellow. 



Total length 14-93 to 16-9 inches, wing 5'3, tail from 8'23 to 10'6, bill 0-65, tarsus 051. 



In the female the red feathers on the sides of the rump are yellow at the base, and there 

 is a yellow-orange patch over the yellow spot above the thighs. According to Count 

 Salvadori, the young have narrow black edges to the red feathers of the neck and breast, and 

 the abdomen, thighs, and a spot on the occiput dark green. 



A considerable degree of variation exists between the skins preserved in the British 

 Museum. Two have conspicuous yellow feathers irregularly scattered on the ventral surface, 

 tending to form a transverse band across the abdomen and a much less marked one across 

 the breast ; thus here the two lateral yellow patches before described as existing on either 

 side tend to unite medianly. In two others the colour of the wings above is much lighter 

 than that of the back. Skin 89.1.20.114 is much brighter coloured and more golden beneath 

 than in the other specimens. The extent and shape of the black on the belly also varies. 

 In skin 38.11.13.3 there is no transverse black band on the nape, while in skin 37.7.15.71 

 it only reaches half across the neck. 



We found one very puzzling skin, as its wings were largely ultramarine blue. We 

 consulted Count Salvadori on the subject, who kindly informed us that he knew no such 

 variety, and suggested that the wings might belong to a bird of another species, and such we 

 believe to he the case. 



