71 



PJ2D-WINGED fjARRAKEET. 



V 



Psittacus erythropterus, Russ. 



Synonyms: Aprosmietus erythropterus, Gld.; Psittacus melanotis, Shw.; 



Platycercus erytliropterus, Vgrs.; Ptistes erythropterus et 



coccineopterus, GrK. German : Der rothflilgelige Sitticli. 



THIS delightful Parrot is not an uncommon inhabitant of the 

 greater part of the Eastern Australian "bush'-', but more especially 

 abounds in the northern parts of the great island continent; yet it is 

 among the rarest importations from that land of Parrots, and, conse- 

 quently, commands a high figure in the bird-market, from £3 to £5 

 and upwards being the price of a pair. 



The greater portion of the plumage is rich grass-green; the back, 

 shoulders, and wing coverts are velvety black; a broad red, or rather 

 crimson, patch ornaments the centre of the wing, and the rump is 

 blue: the eyes are reddish, and the beak orange red. 



According to Gray, the female is almost entirely green, the red on 

 her shoulder reduced to very small proportions, and the velvet black of 

 the back and wing coverts entirely wanting. Mr. Wiener, on the other 

 hand, states that "the plumage of the female is less bright, and the 

 red on the wing less extensive'', but says nothing about the absence 

 of the velvet mantle. Mr. Gedney agrees with the former writer; 

 "The hen", he writes, "is less brilliantly coloured, her body plumage 

 being dull green, of a palish hue, merging to yellow on the abdomen, 

 with a strip of red upon the wing, and a blue patch at the base of 

 the tail. She lacks the rich velvet black which makes the back of her 

 mate so strikingly handsome, and her plumage is altogether inferior 

 to that of the male bird." 



In Lear's excellent Illustrations of the Psittacidce, the female is rep- 

 resented, coloured, as described by Mr. Gedney, and the young male 

 is distinguished from his mother by the extent of the red bands on 



