DASYPTILUS PESQUETI (fLess.),

Pesquet’s Parrot.

Psittacus pecqueti, Less. Bull. des Sciences Nat. xxv. p. 241 (1831).—Bourj. Perroquets, pl. 67 (1837-38).—Less.

Descr. de Mamm. et d’Ois. pl. 199 (1847).
Psittacus pesqueti, Less. Ill. de Zool. pl. 1 (1831). |
Banksianus fulgidus, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 1881 (1831).—Pucheran, Rev. et Mag de Zool. 1853, p. 156.—Hartl. |

Journ. fiir Orn. 1855, p. 422.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xii. p. 317 (1878).

Dasyptilus pecquetu, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. pp. 502, 681, 735 (1882).—Gray, Gen. Birds, ii. p. 427 (1845).—Bp. Consp.

Gen. Av. i. p. 8 (1850).—Le Maout, Hist. Nat. des Ois. 104, pl. 2 (1853 ).—Bp. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.

1854, p. 155.—Id. Naumannia, 1856, Consp. Psitt. sp. 360.—Gray, Cat. B. New Guinea, pp. 43, 60,

1859.—Id. List Psitt. Brit. Mus. p. 100 (1859).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. 227.—Rosenb. Journ.

fir Orn. 1862, p. 65.—Id. Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. xxv. pp. 146, 147 (1863).—Id. Journ. fiir Orn. 1864,

p. 116.—Bernst. Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. xxvii. p. 297 (1864).—Id. Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. ii. 327

(1865).—Gray, Handl. B. ii. p. 159, no. 8260 (1870) —Salvad. Atti. R. Ac. Se. di Torino, ix. p. 630,

(1874).—Meyer, Orn. Mittheil. i. p. 14 (1875).—Garrod, P. Z.S. 1876, p- 691.
Dasyptilus pequetit, Jardine, Nat. Libr. vi. p. 140, pl. xvii. (1836).—Wallace, P.Z.S. 1864, pp. 287, 294. |
Psittrichas pesqueti, Less. Compl. de Buffon, Ois. p. 603, pl. f. 2 (1838).
Calyptorhynchus fulgidus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 426 (1845).

 

 

 

Dasyptilus fulgidus, Bp. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 157.—Id. Naumannia, 1856, Consp. Psitt. sp. 261.—
Gray, List. Psitt. Brit. Mus. p. 100 (1859).—Finsch, Die Papageien, ii. p. 323 (1868).—Salvad. Ann.
Mus. Civ. Genova, xii. p. 317 (1878).

Dasyptilus pesqueti, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 195.— Id. P.Z.5. 1861, p. 437.—Finsch, Die Papageien, 11.
pp. 320, 955 (1868).—Giebel, Thes. Orn. ii. p. 18 (1874) —Meyer, Sitzb. Isis zu Dresden, 1873, p.
76.—Beccari, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, vii. p. 714 (1875).—Id. Ibis, 1876, p. 252.—Salvad. Ann. Mus.
Civ. Genova, x. pp. 31, 121 (1877); xi. p. 317 (1878).—D’Albertis, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, x. pp.
8, 19 (1877).—Id. Ibis, 1877, p. 365.—D’ Albert. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xiv. p. 36 (1879).—
Salvad. Orn. Papuasia &e. i. p. 217 (1880).

Nestor pesquetii, Schlegel, Journ. fiir Orn. 1861, p. 377.—Id. Mus. Pays-Bas, Psittaci, p. 157 (1864).—Id. op. cit.
Revue, p. 70 (1874).

Dasyptilus pesqueti, Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p, 157 (1865). :

Microglossum pecqueti, Rosenb. Der zool. Gart. 1878, p. 347.

 

 

 

From the above very ample list of synonyms, which we have copied from Count Salvadori’s ‘ Ornitologia

 

della Papuasia,’ it will be seen that this species has been known to ornithologists for many years ; but it is
only recently that we have received perfect specimens in Europe. All the examples collected by the early
voyagers seem to have been skins of native preparation ; and so rare was the bird that even Mr. Wallace did
not succeed in obtaining a specimen during his travels in the Malay archipelago. Bernstein forwarded a
specimen to the Leyden Museum in 1863, which he had received alive in Ternate from the west coast of New
Guinea, opposite to Salawati. Another individual was received alive by the Zoological Society of London,
bat did not live long ; this specimen was beautifully mounted by Mr. Bartlett, and is now in the gallery of
the British Museum.

Von Rosenberg met with a single individual in the Arfak Mountains, where also D’Albertis shot the
species, as well as Dr. Meyer. ‘The researches of Dr. Beccari and Mr. Bruijn’s collectors have shown that
it occurs on Mount Morait near Dorei Hum, near Napan in the Bay of Geelvink, and also on the Fly
river, in South-eastern New Guinea, where D’Albertis met with it. We have also seen some splendid
examples from the Astrolabe range of mountains, obtained by Mr. A. Goldie. It will therefore be noticed
from the above slight sketch of the history of the present species, which is derived from Count Salvadori’s

work above quoted, that examples are now much more common in collections than they were twenty years

 

ago.

“rom the accounts of the habits of this species given by D’Albertis and Beccari, it seems that its favourite
food consists of figs, into which it plunges its head in the same way as cegeeecaroes SENEH 5 Ee Salvadori
suggests that the bare face of the bird has something to do with this peculiar habit. It cny is pawsli el
loud, and is heard at a great distance; and the skin is of extraordinary toughness, so that it is most difficult

 

to shoot specimens, which generally fall to a shot in the head or a broken wing.

The coloration of this species is so peculiar that a detailed description 1s not necessary.

The figures in the Plate represent two birds, of about the size of life, drawn from specimens in our own
collection.

[R. B. S.J