Order PSITTACL] 
[Fam. NESTORID^E. 
NESTOE NOTABILIS. 
(KEA PARROT.) 
Nestor notabilis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 94. 
Native names. 
Kea and Keha ; “ Mountain-Parrot ” of the colonists. 
$ superne omnino olivaceo-yiridis : plumarum omnium scapis et marginibus nigricantibus : pileo paullo dilutiore, 
vix canescente : facie laterali magis brunnescente : dorso postico, uropygio et supracaudabbus sordide 
cruentatis yersus apicem anguste flavicantibus et nigricante marginatis, bis lmis olivaceo-flavicantibus : 
scapularibus et tectricibus alarum dorso coneoloribus, his majoribus extus vxx cyanescente lavatis, remigibus 
nigricantibus, ala spuria et primariis versus basin cyanescentibus, secundariis olivaceo-vindibus dorso con- 
coloribus : remigibus subtus pogonio interno versus basin citrino transfasciatis : cauda olivaceo-viridi, supra 
sordide cyanescente lavata et fascia nigra anteapicali transnotata, rectricibus subtus flavicante tmctis, et 
pogonio interno citrino vix aurantiaco dentatis : corpore toto subtus olivaceo-viridi, plumis nigricante 
marginatis, abdomine dilute aurantiaco lavato : subalaribus et plumis axillaribus laete scarlatinis, minimis 
flavicantibus, anguste nigricante tcrminatis : rostro cinerascenti-brunneo, mandibula ad basin laete flavi- 
cante : pedibus flavicanti-olivaceis. 
5 mari simillima, sed sordidior et plumis nigricante latius maiginatis. 
Adult male. General plumage dull olive-green, brighter on the upper parts, with a neb gloss ; each feather 
broadly tipped and narrowly margined with dusky black, with shaft-lines of the same colour, except on the 
head, where there is merely a darker shaft-line ; ear-coverts and cheeks olivaceous brown, with darker 
margins ; feathers on the sides strongly tinged with orange-red ; primaries dusky brown, the outer webs 
light metallic blue in their basal portion, largely toothed on the inner web with bright lemon-yellow ; 
secondaries greenish blue, changing to olive on their outer webs, dusky brown on their inner, and toothed 
with orange-yellow ; lining of the wings and axillary plumes vivid scarlet, with narrow dusky tips; inner 
coverts towards the flexure washed with lemon-yellow ; rump and upper tail-coverts bright arterial-red 
mixed with olive, and prettily vandyked at the tips with dusky black, this colour being richest on the middle 
tail-coverts and changing on the lateral ones to bright olive shaded with red and tipped with brown ; tail- 
feathers olive-green on their upper surface, with a fine metallic gloss, paler at the tips, inclining to blue on 
the outer feathers, the whole crossed near the extremity by a broad band of blackish brown ; the under 
surface pale olive-green, with the subterminal band less distinct, and broadly toothed on their inner webs 
with bright lemon-yellow ; under tail-coverts dull olive-green, tipped with brown. Irides black ; bill greyish 
brown; lower mandible rich wax-vellow in its basal portion; eyelid and cere dull yellow; feet yellowish 
olive, with paler soles. Total length 19' 5 inches; wing, from flexure, 12'5 ; tail 7 m; bill, along the 
ridge T75, along the edge of lower mandible 1 ; tarsus 1-5; longer fore toe and claw 2'2o ; longer hind 
toe and claw 2. 
Female. Similar to the male, but having the tints of the plumage generally duller, and the dusky margins of 
the feathers broader. 
Obs. The bill is very variable, measuring in one of my specimens 2 - 25 inches along the ridge, and 1 5 along the 
edo'c of lower mandible. In some examples the lower mandible, instead of being yellow at the base, is dark 
brown, like the upper one, with only a faint line of lighter brown down the centre. This is probably 
characteristic of the young bird. 
