144 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
emerald-green ; back_, rump_, scapulars and upper tail-coverts dark green ; 
central tail-feathers blue_, edged with green near the base and tipped yel- 
lowish j the others more or less blue on the outer webs and green on the 
inner; lesser wing-coverts and the outer ones of the other series 
dusky green ; the inner median coverts rather bright golden yellow_, forming 
a large conspicuous patch ; the inner greater coverts green^ tinged with 
yellow on the outer webs ; quills green on the outer webs_, brown on 
the inner; under wing- coverts green; lower throat_, breast and upper 
abdomen vinaceous red ; remainder of lower plumage green tinged with 
blue. 
The/em«/e differs only in having the head tinged with blue^ and in having 
the vinaceous red of the breast produced up the sides of the neck between 
the lilac-blue of the head and the emerald-green of the neck. 
Young birds have no red on the lower plumage. 
Upper mandible coral-red_, the tip yellow ; lower mandible black ; the 
cere dusky green ; eyelids pale greenish ; iris light yellow ; legs dusky 
greenish yellow ; claws dark horn. The female has the upper mandible 
blacky with the tip yellow ; base of lower mandible pale orange-brown. 
Young birds appear to have both mandibles black. 
Length very variable_, and reaches up to 17 inches in good specimens^ 
tail up to 10^ wing 6'4^ tarsus '5^ bill from gape 1. The female is of about 
the same size. 
An ally of this species^ P. aleocandri, occurs in Ja^'a; it merely differs 
in both sexes having the whole bill red. P. longicauda is a very 
beautiful species from the Malay peninsula; it has the crown a bright 
green_, the moustachial streaks blacky and the remainder of the bead a 
beautiful rosy red. 
The Red-breasted Paroquet is found over the whole of British Burmah^ 
except on the very highest hills. The only portion where it is perhaps rare 
or absent altogether is the Thoungyeen valley in Tenasserim, where Capt. 
Bingham states that he has not observed it. 
It is found_, according to Dr. Tiraud^ in Cochin China ; in Mr. Seebohm''s 
collection are specimens collected by Mr. Swinhoe in Hainan ; and Count 
Salvadori gives it from Malacca. 
It extends through the Indo-Burmese countries into India_, where it is 
found in Eastern Bengal and along the Himalayas as far as Kumaon. 
This Paroquet is found in well- wooded portions of the country usually 
in small flocks^ but when the paddy is ripe in immense numbers. They 
descend on the fields and do a vast amount of injury^ cutting the stems of 
the rice with their bills_, and then eating the half -ripened grains. During 
the middle of the day they sit on dead trees in clearings_, uttering a varietj^ 
of musical notes. Capt» Bingham found the nest in Tenasserim in 
February. 
