Birds of Celebes: Psittacidae. 
133 
Nothing is known of the breeding of C. sulphurea in freedom, but in cap- 
tivity cases are on record of its laying two or three eggs at a sitting (Fraser 5, 
Russ a 3). 
FAMILY PSITTACIDAE. 
“It is extremely difficult to define the Psittacidae by positive characters. 
They are separated from the Stringopidae by having a complete sternum, from 
the Nestoridae^ Loriidae, and Cgclopsittacidae by the file-like surface on the pala- 
tine portion of the hook of the bill, and from the Cacatuidae by the absence 
of a crest (except in NgmphicusJ’ — Salvadori, Cat. B. XX, 137. The family 
ranges almost all over the warmer parts of the world. 
Count Salvadori recognises 6 subfamilies of the Psittacidae, one of which, 
the Palaeornithinae, is represented by several genera in the Celebesian area. In 
this subfamily the tail is soft, sometimes very long and graduated, sometimes 
short and square, or wedge-shaped; the furcula is present (except in the genera 
Agapornis and Psittacula), the left carotid is normal, like the right one running 
in the hypo apophysial canal; orbital ring always incomplete; sides of the head 
feathered, if naked, only immediately round the eyes; bill moderate, or very 
strong, deeper than long (in Loriculus long and thin), smooth, mostly red, some- 
times black, or yellow; sexes generally different. Australian, Oriental and 
Ethiopian Regions — cf. Salvadori, t. c. pp. 137, 386. 
GENUS PRIONITURUS Wagl. 
The Racket-tailed Parrots are easily recognisable when adult by the two 
middle tail-feathers, the shafts of which are prolonged beyond the others and 
tipped with a spatule of ordinary feather-construction; tail — except for the 
two middle feathers — square. The general colour is yellowish parrot-green; 
the under surface of the remiges where they rest upon the body verditer-blue, 
elsewhere black or blackish. Nine species and races have been described; they 
inhabit the Philippines, the Celebesian Province, and, possibly. Burn. 
* 43. PRIONITURUS PLATURUS (YieilL). 
Blue-billed Racket Parrot. 
Plates V and VI. 
a. Psittacus platurus (1) “Temm.”, VieilL, N. Diet. N.H. 1817, XXV, 314 (Noiivelle Cale- 
doifie!); {2} Russ, Fremdl. Stubenvog. 1881, 491. 
h. Psittacus setarius (1) Temm., PL Col. 1824, 15 (Timor!); (2) Miill. & ScliL, Verb. 
Natimrk. Comm. 1839—44, 90, 107, 182 (Baton); S. Miill., Reiz. Ind. Arebip. 
1857, n, 12. 
