26 



^ANY-COLOURED 1§ARRAKEET. 



Psittacus multicolor, Russ, Khl., Tmm. 



Sntnonyms: Platycercus multicolor, Vges., Wgl., Fnsch.; 



Psephotus multicolor, Gld., Bp., Ge.; Puphema multicolor. Geeman: 



Per vielfarbige Sittich. 



AVERT beautiful, but most uusatisfactory bird is the Many-coloured 

 Parrakeet: a glance at the engraving will convince the reader 

 of the correctness of the former assertion, and our word may be taken 

 in confirmation of the second; for we are by no means alone in our 

 opinions: "A glance at the illustration", writes Mr. Wiener, "will 

 convince the reader that the Many-coloured Parrakeet is one of the 

 most beautiful birds of his tribe. The female in my possession happens 

 to have endured for years, but I feel sure that some day she will be 

 so unreasonable as to die, without any palpable reason, as several of 

 her mates did long ago." 



"Lebhaft und anmuthig, ebenso liebenswurdig als praditig", writes 

 Dr. Russ, "dock Jcommt es vor, das audi er jplotzlich ohne ergriindbare 

 Ursadie erhranM und stirbt." (As lively and charming, as it is desirable 

 and beautiful, it nevertheless happens that it will suddenly and without 

 accountable reason fall sick and die." 



Another writer speaks of these birds as if he had found them hardy, 

 but as he also says that the female is all but indistinguishable from 

 the female Redrump [Psittacus Kcematonotus) , his experience of the 

 species was probably limited. 



As Dr. Russ says, the male is a handsome fellow, the general colour 

 of his plumage is rich emerald green, darker above than on the lower 

 surface of the body, the forehead is yellow, the crown of his head 

 deep crimson, the shoulders and the sides yellow, the flight feathers 

 and the longest tail feathers deep greenish blue, the abdomen and 

 the thighs blood red. 



