Order PSITTACI.J 
PLATYCERCUS AURICEPS. 
(YELLOW-FRONTED PARRAKEET.) 
[Fah. PLATYCERCIDAI. 
Platycercus auriceps, Kuhl, Consp. Psittac. p. 4G (1820). 
Pacific Parrot, var. C, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 252 (1781). 
Psittacus pad ficus, var. $, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 329 (1788). 
Platycercus auriceps. Vigors, Zool. Journ. i. p. 5ol (1825). 
Platycercus novae zelandiae, Bourjot St. -Hilaire, Perroq. t. o7 (18o7). 
Euphema auriceps, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. i2 (18o4). 
Cyanoramphus auriceps, Bonap. Kev. et Mag. de Zool. \i. p. loo (1854). 
Cyanoramphus malherii, Souance, Bev. et Mag. de Zool. ix. p. 98 (18o7). 
Platycercus malherbii, Gray, Cat. Brit. Mus. Psitt. p. 14 (18o9). 
Coriphilus auriceps, Schlegel, Dierent. p. 7 7 (1864). 
Native names. 
The same as those applied to the preceding species. 
Ad. P. nova 
zealandice similis, sed valde minor, et vertice aureo, fronte puuieea facile distinguendus. 
Adult male. General plumage beautiful grass-green, paler or more suffused with yellow on the underparts. 
A band of dark crimson connects the eyes, passing across the forehead, immediately above the nostrils 
upper part of forehead and crown golden yellow; on the nape a basal spot of yellowish white, apparent 
only on moving the feathers ; on each side of the rump a conspicuous spot of crimson ; quills dusky black, 
crossed on their under surface with a band of pale yellow ; the outer web of the bastard quills and first four 
primaries, with their coverts, indigo-blue, narrowly margined with yellow. Indes pale cherry-red ; upper 
mandible bluish white at the base, black towards the tip ; under mandible bluish black ; feet pale brown 
Extreme length 105 inches; wing, from flexure, L5 ; tail 5 ; culmen -6 ; tarsus '6; longer fore toe and 
claw 1 ; longer hind toe and claw '9. 
Varieties. Like the preceding bird, this species also exhibits abnormally coloured varieties A young bird, 
brought to me from the nest, and not fully fledged, had the plumage of the body pale yellow, shaded with 
* nn tlie m)pcr parts, and the quills and tail-feathers marked with red. Another had numerous light 
/ t he’wing-covL. In the —of 18 63 I obtained an* b»«bl variety 
iZLtu I found it in the hand, of a labouring settler, who had purehu.ed It from the natives for some 
Manawatu Finding him unwilling to part with it, I tempted him with a guinea, and secured 
STprlr It was a bird of the first year, and presented the following appearanee , -Frontal band crimson ; 
vertex golden yellow ; space around the eyes and a band encircling the neck green ; head shoulders, and 
Zt part of back red, the intermediate space variegated with red and green; quills dusky obscurely 
banded with yellow, and margined on the outer web with bine ; wing-coverts greenish yeUow, barred and 
margined will, red; tail-feather, green, obscurely barred with yellow in their apical portion ; underpin s 
green variegated with crimson and yellow, an interrupted band of the former colour crossing the breast. 
Like the spotted variety of P. ~ Zealand^ already mentioned, within a short time it commenced to 
moult, and was fast assuming the common green liver, of the species, when it was accidentally killed. Tins 
specimen, which still exhibits traces of its original colours, belongs now to the type collection in the Colonial 
Museum. 
