RED- WINGED PARROT. 
from North-eastern Australia, and there is variation in wing measurements 
of birds procured in the same State, and even at the same locality. In two 
specimens only from North-western Australia is the crimson wing patch of the 
adult male slightly smaller ; in the remainder it is indistinguishable in size and 
colour from that of eastern birds.” 
It will be noted that North’s experience is in agreement with my own ; 
that there is only one species : that Port Essington birds are generally smaller 
than typical ones and that Derby specimens are larger than Port Essington 
examples. 
The conclusions of some other workers may be added : thus Le Souef 
(Ibis, 1899, p. 360) under the name Ptistes coccineopterus wrote : “ Mr. Olive 
secured several of these beautiful birds and also their eggs. They are similar 
in appearance to Ptistes erythropterus, but are considerably smaller in all their 
measurements ; some specimens of the latter I received from Cooktown average 
12§ inches in length, but the former 11^ inches. The green on the breast and 
the blue on the back of the P. coccineopterus is darker than in the P. erythropterus 
and the amount of crimson on the wing considerably less.” 
In the following year Robinson and Laverock (Ibis, 1900, p. 645) wrote : 
“ Ptistes coccineopterus Gould, of which there is an authentic specimen from 
Port Essington in the Derby Collection, is almost inseparable from the true 
Ptistes erythropterus. It undoubtedly is slightly smaller than specimens from 
Moreton Bay, but the difference is inconsiderable, and does not appear to be 
constant, as Salvadori has observed. We cannot recognize the differences in 
coloration mentioned by Mr. Le Souef.” 
Hartert (Nov. Zool., Vol. XII., p. 212, 1905) ranged specimens under the 
name Ptistes erythropterus coccineopterus, writing : “It seems to me that 
northern and western specimens are smaller than eastern ones, but the differ- 
ences are very slight. None of our western birds have the wings longer than 
196 mm., while eastern ones range to at least 201 mm. There is, however, 
much variation. The differences in colour suggested by Mr. Le Souef do not 
exist.” 
My own measurements agree in the main with the preceding and prove 
that there are slight constant differences according to locality. I also observe 
the differences in colour mentioned by Gould as a general, but not constant, 
feature. Consequently the subspecies mentioned above can certainly be 
retained by the accurate worker, but it must be acknowledged that we have 
here the finest splitting. As a matter of fact the Cape York form is constantly 
a small one while the Melville Island birds are smaller. Zietz gives the 
Northern Territorv birds he examined as smaller than the Melville Island ones, 
«/ 
but most workers have given longer measurements. I have not a series that 
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