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 3, 
Russ a 3). 
FAMILY PSITTACIDAE. 
“It is extremely difficult to define the Psittacidae by positive characters. 
Ihey are separated from the Stringopidae by having a comjjlete 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 Ngmphicasf — 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 hypoapophysial canal; orbital ring always incomplete; sides of the head 
feathered, if naked, only immediately round the eyes; bill moderate, or very 
strong, deejaer than long (in Loriculus long and thin), smooth, mostly red, some- 
times black, or yellow; sexes generally different. Australian, Oriental and 
Ethio 2 fian Regions — cf. Salvadori, t. c. j)p. 137, 386. 
GENUS PRIONITURUS ¥agl. 
The Racket-tailed Parrots are easily recognisable when adult by the two 
middle tail-feathers, the shafts of w’hich are i^i'olonged beyond the others and 
ti 2 :) 2 ied with a spatule of ordinary feather-construction; tail — except for the 
two middle feathers — square. 'I'he general colour is yellowish 2 >arrot-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 Philijijaines, the Celebesian Province, and, jjossibly. Burn. 
* 43. PRIONITURUS PLATURUS (VieilL). 
Blue-billed Racket Parrot. 
Plates V and VI. 
a. Psittacus platurus (1) “Temm.”, Vie ill., N. Diet. N. H. 1817, XXV, 314 (Nouvelle Cale- 
donie!); (2) Russ, Fremdl. Stubeiwog. 1881, 491. 
b. Psittacus setarius (1) Temm., PI. Ool. 1824, 15 (Timor!); (2) Miill. & ScliL, Verb. 
Xatuurk. Comm. 1839 — 44, 90, 107, 182 (Buton); S. Miill., Reiz. Ind. Archip. 
1857, n, 12. 
