306 Sydney Porter—Notes on the Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets


the Chatham Island Parrakeet. I should use the past tense, for this

bird has now joined the many species of the Cyanorhamphus group

which have been exterminated by human agency. The extinction of

this rare Parrakeet was directly brought about by a well-known

ornithologist in this country, who years ago had agents in the Chathams

collecting large series of skins of the various island species, many of

which inhabited islands of only a few square miles. The Parrakeet soon

disappeared and a party of scientists who had been over there recently

failed to find it at all even though they made an extensive

search. And all we have is a few perishable skins now transferred to

America.


There are no records of the wild life of this bird so, like the Alpine

Parrakeet, its history is now a closed book.


The Alpine Parrakeet (Cyanorhamphus malherbei)


Try as I might, I was unable to trace anything about this dainty

little Parrakeet. After travelling about in the various districts where

it was once found and by questioning many people who should have

known it, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that if not actually on

the verge of extinction it must be excessively rare. In the Southern

Alps, its original habitat, it seemed to be quite unknown to anyone

there. The only recent data concerning it was a fresh skin received

at the Auckland Museum from the Nelson' District. There is little

doubt that in a few years’ time this species will become extinct, for

it is not found on any of the island sanctuaries, though it was reported

to have been found on the Little Barrier Island and on the Hen Island.

This was in the middle of the last century. It is certainly not found

there now, though why it should become extinct, when its two con-

genitors are still found there, I do not know.


Buller in his Birds of New Zealand says of this bird, “ In its

native haunts it may be found frequenting the alpine scrub, in pairs

or small parties, and is very tame and fearless. It is by no means

uncommon in the wooded hills surrounding Nelson. ... At Nelson

I saw many caged birds of this species, and one in particular was

remarkable for the clear manner in which it articulated the words

<f Pretty Dick ”, repeating them all day long in the most untiring way.”



