Genus — A PROSMICTUS. 
Aprosmictus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1842, 
p. Ill Type A. erythropterus. 
Ptistes Gould, Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 37, 
1865 Type A. erythropterus. 
Large Polytelitine birds with long bills, long wings, long wedge-shaped 
tails, and small legs and feet. 
The bill is projecting with a sharp long tip ; the edges of the upper mandible 
sinuate, but with no distinct gap behind the tip. The tip of the lower mandible 
is broadly truncate with the lateral edges strongly sinuate, the whole mandible 
short and broad. The cere is naked with the nostrils as small circular holes : 
the lores are feathered and there is no bare eye patch. 
The wing has the third primary longest, the second slightly less, but ex- 
ceeding the fourth : the first still shorter than the fourth, but longer than 
the fifth : these feathers constitute the tip of the wing and are narrower than 
the succeeding primaries. 
The tail is long and wedge-shaped, but much shorter than the wing, not 
exceeding two thirds its length : the feathers are broad, and the graduation 
only slightly defined : the upper and under tail coverts are long, reaching 
nearly half the length of the tail. 
The coloration of this type species is remarkable : the male has the head 
and all the under parts bright grass green, the upper tail coverts brighter : the 
tail above deeper green : the rump is bright blue, while the interscapular 
region is black : the primaries are green above, and there is a bright crimson 
shoulder patch. The only congener is A. jonquillaceus Vieillot, from Timor, 
which has the shoulder patch much reduced in extent and the back is green 
not black, and generally the coloration is more subdued, and the bird is slightly 
smaller. 
The history of the two generic names Aprosmictus and Ptistes was related 
by me in the Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 13, June, 1911, as follows : 
“ Page 48. Genus CXC. Aprosmictus , Gould Proc. Zool. Soc., Lond. 1842, 
p. 111. 
replaces Ptistes, Gould Handbook Birds Austr., II., p. 37, 1865. 
„ „ Genu CXCI. Alisterus nom. nov. 
replaces Aprosmictus, Gould 1865, not 1842. 
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