PALAORNIS COLUMBOIDES, Fig.
Blue-winged Parrakeet.

Palaeornis columboides, Viz. in Zool. Journ., vol. v. p. 274.

 

Perr., pls. 3 and 3 a.—Jerd. Madras Journ., vol. xi. p. 209. pl. 3.—Ib. Ill. Ind. Orn., pl. 18.—Gray
and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 410, Paleornis, sp. 9.—Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal,
vol. xvi. p. 475, and vol. xix. p. 204.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 5.—Bonap.
Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 152.—De Souancé, Rev. Zool. 1856, p. 158.— Horsf. Cat. of Birds in Mus. East.
Ind. Comp., vol. ii. p. 614.
Psittacus melanorhynchus, Sykes in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., Part ii. p. 96 (female).
Blue-winged Parrakeet, Jerdon.

Psittacus (Conurus) Himalayanus, Less. in Belanger’s Voy. aux Ind. Orient., p. 239.

 

Tuar this is a beautiful and extremely elegant species of Parrakeet, no one I think can gainsay, for it is as
graceful in its contour as it is chaste and delicate in its colouring. However beautiful well-prepared skins
may be, they are poor indeed when compared with the hues of the fresh-moulted bird, in which both harmony
and contrasts combine to render them in every way pleasing; the colours, moreover, are very unusual
among the feathered race, vinous grey, verditer-green, black and scarlet being seldom found in such close
proximity as in the upper parts of the male of the bird figured on the accompanying Plate.

The native country of the Paleornis Columboides is India proper, and it does not, I believe, even visit the
southern slopes of the Himalayas, but confines itself to the range of hills which stretch along the western
side of the Peninsula, and are known by the name of the Ghauts and Neilgherries. Vigors had the honour
of first naming this lovely bird, and Colonel Sykes that of making us acquainted with the female, which,
however, deceived by the black colouring of the bill, he regarded as distinct, and characterized in the “ Pro-
ceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society” as Pale@ornis melano-
rhynchus. In all probability both sexes have the black bill at an early period of their existence ; and I think
it likely that the male does not acquire the red bill or the delicate colouring of the plumage until after its
second year. It is a species that bears confinement remarkably well, and at the moment I am writing, fine
examples of both sexes are living in the rich Menagerie of the Zoological Society of London.

Mr. Jerdon informs us that he ‘ first procured this elegantly coloured Parrakeet at Trichoor, and after-
| Santi

wards in various other localities on the west coast, and on the sides of the Neilgherries, up to a height of

5000 feet. It probably extends for some distance along the range of the Western Ghauts. It keeps entirely
to the depths of the forests, and only frequents the loftiest trees. Its flight is very rapid and elegant, and
it associates in small flocks. Its cry, though similar in character to the harsh call of the Common Parrakeet,
is much more mellow, subdued, and agreeable. It feeds on fruit and berries of various kinds.”

Face, space around the eye, and a narrow line across the forehead grass-green, the band across the fore-
head changing posteriorly to bluish green; chin and collar surrounding the neck black, succeeded by a
second collar of verditer-green ; crown, nape, and sides of the head, back of the neck, upper part of the
back, breast, and abdomen vinous grey; lower part of the back glaucous green, changing to grass-green on
the upper tail-coverts ; vent and thighs washed with green ; wings deep green, the coverts narrowly fringed
with yellow; primaries brownish black, all but the external one broadly margined with blue, the extreme
edge being pale or grass-green ; two central tail-feathers blue, blending into the pale yellow of their tips ;
lateral tail-feathers light grass-green on their external webs, and gamboge-yellow on the inner ones ; under
surface of the tail rich wax-yellow ; upper mandible scarlet, under one paler ; irides straw-yellow ; feet
mealy grey.

Colonel Sykes, when describing his P. melanorhynchus, says, ‘This bird has the aspect of P. Columboides,
but differs in the black bill, broad black collar, pale green-yellow beneath instead of dove-colour, and in the
want of the metallic green narrow collar and bluish rump,” which characteristics are now known to per-

tain to the female or young male.

The Plate represents a male and a female, or young male, of the natural size. The plant is the Dendro-
bum MacCarthie.

Lear, Ill. Psitt., pl. 31.—Bourj. St. Hil. Coll. de