RED-CAPPED PARROT. 
Purpureicephalus spurius carteri Mathews, Austral Avian Record, Vol. II., p. 128, Jan. 28, 
1915 : Broome Hill, South-west Australia (Inland). 
Purpureicephalus spurius spurius Mathews, it. 
Distribution. South-west Australia. 
Adult male. Hind neck, back, scapulars, innermost secondaries and upper wing-coverts 
dull green ; outer edge of wing and under wing-coverts deep blue like the outer 
webs of the bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and primary- quills, outer-webs of the 
secondaries paler blue ; inner- webs of the bastard- wing, primary-coverts, primary- 
and secondary- quills dark brown inclining to blackish at the base ; rump and 
short upper tail-coverts yellow with a greenish tinge ; long upper tail-coverts and 
base of tail green which extends to the tips of the two central feathers on the inner- 
webs, the outer-feathers blackish at the base, blue on the middle portion, and 
whitish at the tips ; crown of head and nape deep red ; the short feathers in front 
and over the eye blackish at the base and green at the tips ; sides of the face and 
sides of throat pale green, becoming golden-green on the sides of the neck ; a few 
dark feathers on the throat which are tipped with blue ; breast, abdomen and sides 
of the body dark blue with a pale subterminal bar to the feathers ; vent, thighs, 
and under tail-coverts red with more or less yellowish-green at the base of the 
feathers ; lower aspect of quills and middle tail-feathers dark brown, the outer 
feathers of the latter pale pearl-blue. Bill dark bluish-horn, eyes hazel, feet 
pinkish-grey. Total length 380 mm. ; culmen 25, wing 162, tail 200, tarsus 22. 
Figured. Collected at Broome Hill, South-west Australia, on the 3rd of November, 
1907, and is the type of P. s. carteri. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Young. General colour above dull dark green including the head, hind-neck, sides of 
neck, scapulars, upper wing-coverts and outer-webs, and secondary-quills, all the 
feathers except the secondaries having dark narrow edges ; the outer upper wing- 
coverts inclining to bluish-green ; bastard- wing, primary-coverts and primary- 
quills deep blue on the outer-webs and dark brown on the inner ones, like those of 
the secondaries, the blue becoming very pale and scarcely perceptible on the apical 
portion of the primaries ; a white spot on the inner-webs of the inner-primaries 
which commences on the fourth outer one ; rump and short upper tail-coverts 
greenish-yellow, the long upper tail-coverts dull green like the back ; middle tail- 
feathers dark bronze-green becoming blackish at the tips, the outer feathers paler 
green with an ill-defined black bar followed by blue, or greenish-blue, on the apical 
portion and white at the tips ; sides of the face paler than the crown ; a narrow* , 
red line on the base of the forehead followed by a small whitish patch on the 
loral portion ; throat and fore-neck dusky grey with a very slight vinous tinge on 
the breast, abdomen very pale purplish-blue inclining to green on the sides ; lower 
flanks and thighs bright apple-green, the feathers margined with red ; under tail- 
coverts similar but paler and inclining to yellow ; under wing-coverts dull blue, the 
greater series and quill-lining, glossy pale brown the last irregularly marked with 
white ; lower aspect of tail blackish with pale iridescent blue on the outer feathers. 
Collected at Wilson’s Inlet, South-west Australia, on the 23rd of December, 1908. 
Nest. A hole in a tree. 
Eggs. Clutch five to six. White. About 28 mm. by 22. 
Breeding-season. August to November. 
This beautiful bird was first described by Kuhl in 1820, from a specimen 
brought from New Holland, and then in the Paris Museum. The same specimen 
was re-named by Lesson without any additional information and was then 
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