87 



SgAVAN ||ARRAKEET. 



Psittacus Alexandri, Buss. 



Synonyms: Psittacus fasciatus, Mll.; Psittacus Javanicus, Osb.; 



Psittacus pondicerianus, Gml.; Psittacus Osbecldi, Lth.; 



Psittacus mistaceus, Shw.; Palceomis jpondicerianus, Vgrs.; Palceomis 



Javanicus, Gr.; Palceomis Vibrisca et Alexandri, Fnsch. 



German: Per Alexander sittich von Java. 



IT is to be regretted, as productive of confusion, that the name of 

 the Macedonian conqueror of India should have been bestowed 

 upon no less than five distinct species of Parrots, and still more so 

 that to two of these should have been added the specific designation 

 " Javan''': but so it is, and nothing now remains to be done beyond 

 attempting to clear up the uncertainty that exists, by restricting, as 

 far as possible, the names to the one species only, which Dr. Puss has 

 done in the present instance, and, as it appears to us, most appro- 

 priately. 



The true Javan Parrot, Psittacus Alexandri, is found, as its name im- 

 plies, in the Island of Java; and, as it also occurs in Borneo, Sumatra, 

 and especially in the Malaccan peninsula, there seems to us no adequate 

 reason why it should not have been one of the several species carried 

 back with them, on their return to Europe, by the followers of Alex- 

 ander the Great, to grace the triumph of their master, on his arrival 

 in his native land, at the conclusion of his hazardous but gloriously 

 successful expedition, and we are of opinion that the doctor has made 

 out his case, so that in future, when we speak of the Javan Parrakeet, 

 we are to be understood as meaning none other than the bird of which 

 we are now treating. 



The general colour of this Parrakeet is dark grass green on the upper 

 half of the body, whilst the under portions are yellowish green; the 

 head and cheeks are greyish yellow; the nape and back of the neck 



