TAXONOMIC STATUS OF PS1TTACULA INTERMEDIA 



41 



the AMNH intermedia are again totally intermediate, but BMNH 

 1980.3.1 differs from intermedia and is very like roseata (Appen- 

 dix). In rectrix widths (Figure 6C), AMNH intermedia are more or 

 less intermediate, although the central rectrices are somewhat closer 

 in width to those of cyanocephala, while the outer rectrices are 

 closer to those of himalayana; BMNH 1980.3. 1 differs here as well 

 (Appendix). 



Styles of specimen preparation 



Examination of preparation styles of the Rothschild intermedia 

 (Figure 7) other than the type (which predated the others) but 

 including the juvenile himalayana (AMNH 621545), showed that 

 one (AMNH 62 1 54 1 ) has a longish neck and understuffed throat (vs. 

 short necks and breast nearly touching the bill on the others); another 

 (AMNH 621542) has the bill slightly open, while in three (AMNH 

 621544-5, BMNH 1980.3. 1 ) the maxilla is extended far beyond the 

 mandible (vs. naturally positioned inAMNH 621540-1). The wings 

 are positioned far forward and low on the body on two (AMNH 

 62 1 544-5), and low but to the sides on two others (AMNH 62 1 540- 

 1) vs. well-positioned to the sides on the remaining two (BMNH 

 1980.3.1, AMNH 621542). The body is compressed dorsoventrally 

 in all but one (BMNH 1 980.3. 1 ). The tail is twisted in relation to the 

 body in all but two (BMNH 1980.3.1, AMNH 621541); one with a 

 twisted tail (AMNH 621542) has one of its central rectrices rotated 

 180" and its rectrices are spread, while they are folded tightly in the 

 others. One specimen (AMNH 621542) is filled with dirty cotton, 

 while another (AMNH 621544) has the body made of a tightly but 

 roughly wound ball of coarse brown fibres each about 0.5 mm in 

 width, and the rest of the Rothschild specimens are stuffed with 

 rough bundles of straw. Support sticks in two (AMNH 621542, 

 621544) are thin (ca. 3 mm diameter), whittled, and orange-brown; 

 thicker (3.4 mm), rougher, and grey-brown in another (AMNH 

 621540); and very thick (ca. 7 mm), coarse, crudely broken, and 

 dark brown in yet another (AMNH 621545), while sticks are not 

 visible externally in the other specimens. 



All the Rothschild intermedia share the following external prepa- 

 ration features: the eyes are not stuffed and are dried shut; the breast 

 is crudely stuffed so that the feathers of the upper breast are pushed 

 outwards and upwards; the abdominal incision is rough; the tibiotarsi 

 are broken medially and the feet were not secured, now being 

 entirely missing in three (presumably having been lost after prepara- 

 tion). Strangely, the only published photograph of any of the 

 Rothschild intermedia specimens (AMNH 621540, in Arndt 1996) 

 was digitally enhanced to add in a lifelike eye and periorbital skin, 

 even though it lacks a wing on the side photographed. 



Radiographs (Figure 8) elucidate additional pertinent preparation 

 features of the Rothschild intermedia specimens: AMNH 621541 

 and 621545 both had similar loose-woven cloth wound around the 

 top of the support sticks and pushed into the open back of the skulls, 

 while the others have little or no stuffing in the skulls. The X-rays 

 confirm the similarity between the straw used in stuffing of five 

 specimens (AMNH 621539-621541, 621545, BMNH 1980.3.1), 

 and show that straw is lacking in two others (AMNH 621542, 

 621544). The body of AMNH 621540 is fusiform, while inAMNH 

 621544 the rear body is nearly empty. BMNH 1980.3.1 lacks a 

 support stick altogether. In some of the specimens (AMNH 62 1 540- 

 1, 621545) the support stick is jammed into the braincase, while in 

 AMNH 621544 the tip lies between the orbits, and in AMNH 

 62 1 542 it projects into the base of the maxilla. In all specimens, the 

 wings are positioned carelessly and variably, and those of the 

 holotype are positioned differently to the rest. Similarities among 

 the specimens visible in the x-rays include: most or all of the radii 

 and the entire humerus have been removed; much of the back of the 



skull was removed but in an inconstant manner; the bones were often 

 haphazardly broken and bone chips are embedded inside five speci- 

 mens; and sacral vertebrae were left in five specimens. 



Other dataless specimens examined by us that had been prepared 

 in this characteristic native skin style (the 'Bombay preparation': 

 Rothschild 1895) include the following abnormally plumaged 

 specimens: a partial \utinocyanocephala( AMNH 45403 1 ); a yellow- 

 tinged (flavist\c?)cyanocephala( AMNH 62 1491); and a near-lutino 

 krameri (AMNH 454030). Bombay preparation Psittacula skins 

 with normal plumage at AMNH include: three cyanocephala 

 (621490, 621492, 621537); five himalayana (621551-621554, 

 621556); two finschii (621550, 621557); and one krameri (621337). 

 Further Bombay preparation skins are now in other collections (e.g. 

 MCZ 38324-5). No skins of the Bombay preparation were found 

 among the AMNH series of other Indian Psittacula species, al- 

 though other presumed native skin styles are represented among 

 them. 



Evidence for captive origin 



We found the following features among the Rothschild intermedia 

 that are consistent with their having been held in captivity: (1) 

 breakage or damage of primaries in three (AMNH 621542, 621544- 

 5); (2) loss of central rectrices on AMNH 621539 and ongoing 

 replacement of central rectrices on at least three others (AMNH 

 621541-2, 621544 and presumably 621540, showing that a high 

 proportion of the sample is in moult); (3) irregular dark worn areas 

 on feathers of the carpal area and heavily frayed wing coverts in 

 AMNH 621544; (4) a featherless patch on the left side of the upper 

 breast, and damaged feathers on the forehead of AMNH 621544 and 

 shoulder of AMNH 62 1 542; and (5) dirt on the feathers of the breast 

 and/or belly of four (AMNH 62 1 539, 62 1 544-5, BMNH 1 980.3. 1 ), 

 dirt on the right wing of BMNH 1980.3.1, and apparent whitewash 

 on the upper tail surface of BMNH 1980.3.1. 



Photographs and other reports of captive intermedia 

 A photograph of a parakeet published in Herrmann ( 1 994) as a male 

 cyanocephala is instead much like the five AMNH adult male 

 intermedia specimens. This individual (which has now been sold) 

 and its mate (which has died and for which no details are available) 

 were said to be wild-caught from an unknown locality and were held 

 in captivity in Austria, where the photograph was taken by F. Pfeffer 

 in 1985 (T. Arndt, in litt. 1997). Based on a copy of Pfeffer's 

 photograph, the male differs from cyanocephala (and agrees with 

 AMNH intermedia) in having two-thirds of the upper mandible red- 

 orange and fairly large; a pale yellowish lower mandible; a large 

 head with more extensive, slatier-blue areas on the rear face and 

 head; a weaker blue wash on nape, wing coverts, and rump; and the 

 tail tip longer and yellowish. From the photograph of the male, it 

 appears to differ from the AMNH intermedia in having a paler, less 

 pure yellow tail tip; narrower central rectrices; a yellow-green area 

 between the mantle and the hindcollar; and a dark maroon shoulder 

 patch. 



A second male (also of unknown provenance but from around 

 1985) was recently located in captivity at Turnersee Bird Park in 

 Austria by R. Low (in litt. 1997) and F. Pfeffer (T. Arndt in litt. 

 1997\ and was almost immediately published (with colour photos) 

 as a true intermedia (Fuchs 1997). Photos of this bird (which is 

 missing parts of its toes) from all three above sources show it to be 

 very similar to the previously mentioned captive bird in Austria, 

 except that its bill looks smaller and less orange-red. Some of the 

 photos clearly show very narrow central rectrices with very long 

 pale yellow tips and whitish shafts encroaching into the blue portion 

 at least as far proximally as the level of the R2 tips. R. Low (in litt. 

 1997) stated it was the same size as the female cyanocephala with 



