INSESSORES. 



239 



Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1848, Plate XXI. 



Form. — Resembling in general form Aprosmictus tahuensis, scapulatus, 

 and the preceding. Bill rather large ; wing short ; fourth quill 

 longest ; tail long, cuneated. 



Dimensions. — Total length (of skin), about seventeen and a half 

 inches; wing, nine inches; tail, eight and a half inches. 



Colors. — Front, cheeks inclosing the eyes, and throat, black. Mid- 

 dle of the breast, abdomen, and ventral region, orange-yellow, darker 

 on the last, and inclining to red. Outer webs of primaries blue; inner 

 webs of primaries and under surface of the wings and tail black. All 

 other parts of the plumage, above and below, green. Bill and feet 

 dark, the former tipped with yellowish. 



Hab. — Feejee Islands. Specimen in Nat. Mus. Washington. 



As we have said above, this bird is stated by Mr. Peale to be the 

 young female of the species immediately preceding [Aprosmictus spJen- 

 clens), but with not the slightest disposition to undervalue the impor- 

 tance of an observation made by one who at least had superior oppor- 

 tunities, we at present feel constrained to consider this as a mistake. 

 Having now before us numerous specimens belonging to the fine 

 collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, of 

 species very similar and nearly allied to Aprosmictus splendens, the 

 names of which may be found above in the present and preceding 

 articles, we look in vain for any stage of plumage analogous or simi- 

 lar to that of the bird now in question. The black space around the 

 base of the bill is also a character much more emphatic and distinctive 

 than is usually possessed by young birds, especially in the family of 

 Parrots. 



It may be regarded as within the range of possibility, that this bird 

 is the young of Aprosmictus tahuensis, which (the young) we have not 

 seen. As pointed out above, if the present bird is the young of the 

 species immediately preceding, Mr. Gray's name at the head of this 

 article is very probably that which must be adopted on account of 

 priority. 



