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PRIONITURUS DISCURUS.

Little Racket-tailed Parrot.

Psittacus discurus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom.i. p. 7, pl. 36.—Id. Ency. Méth., Orn., part ili. p. 1369.—Wagl. Mon.,
p. 524.

—__— spatuliger, foem., Bourj. St.-Hil. Perr., t. 53a.

Prioniturus discurus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 6.—Sclat. in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxvill. p. 224.

The above are the synonyms of this species, according to Dr. Sclater ; while the following are given by Mr.
Goo le Calc

Psittacus discurus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., p. —Id. Ency. Méth., Orn., part il. p. 1369.
Prioniturus discurus, Gray, List of Spec. of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part. ili. sec. 2, Psittacide, p. 18.

 

NorwirHsTaNDING its smaller size, if a comparison be made between the relative proportions of this bird
and the other species, it will be found to possess by far the longest central tail-feathers. It is, indeed, one
of the most elegant Parrots I have ever seen. A beautiful specimen is to be found in the British Museum,
whither it was sent by H. Cuming, Esq., who collected it during his sojourn at Manilla. Not having had
an opportunity of examining the Paris specimen to which Dr. Sclater refers in his note given below, I am
unable to say if it be identical with the present bird or the one I have figured under the name of P. spatu-
liger; 1 have therefore retained Mr. G. R. Gray’s name for the bird, and I believe it will not be found
necessary to alter it. The names of the four species of Preoniturus known up to the year 1862 will then
stand as P. setarius, P. flavicans, P. spatuliger, and P. discurus.

Mr. Cuming is unable to tell me in what precise part of the Philippines he procured this bird, but believes
it was in the province of Baie. In its peculiar characteristics of small size, white bill, greatly prolonged
central tail-feathers, and general colouring, it so closely resembles the P. spatuliger that one description
would almost serve for both.

“The British Museum,” says Dr. Sclater, ‘‘ contains specimens of two nearly allied but probably distinct
species of this section of the genus Prioneturus ” (Urodiscus), ‘ both from the Philippines. They are distin-
guished in Mr. Gray’s Catalogue as P. discurus and P. spatuliger ; but as the latter specific appellation was
used by Bourjot St.-Hilaire for a compound species formed by the union of P. setarius and P. discurus, it is
a useless synonym. It follows, therefore, that whichever of the two Philippine species is different from
that in the Paris Museum, which is the type of Vieillot’s and B. St.-Hilaire’s figures, will require a new
name.”

General plumage green, washed with verditer blue on the crown; under surface yellowish green; upper
surface of the primaries brown, washed on their edges with bluish green; on their under surface the brown
colour occupies the outer web and half the breadth of the inner, the remainder being bluish green; the
under surface of the tail bluish green; upper surface of the five lateral tail-feathers bluish green at the base,
and largely tipped with dark brown; two centre feathers green, their shafts and spatules dark brown; bill
creamy white; feet mealy.

Total length, to the end of the lateral tail-feathers, 81; to end of spatules, 114; spatules and shaft

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beyond the square part, 3; bill, 2; wing, 6; tail and spatules, 6; tarsi, 2.

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The figures are of the natural size.

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