GEOFFROYIUS TIMORLAOENSIS, Meyer

Tenimber Parrot.

Geoffroyius keyensis, Salvad.; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, pp. 51, 200.—Forbes, Naturalist’s Wanderings,
p. 356 (1885).

Geoffroyius timorlaoensis, Meyer, Vogel, Nester und Kier aus dem Ostind. Archipel, p. 15 (1884).

 

Tur first specimens sent from Timor Laut by Mr. H. O. Forbes were referred by Dr. Sclater to Geofroyius
keyensis, the species from the Ke Islands. Dr. A. B. Meyer, the well-known Director of the Dresden Museum,
received no less than eleven specimens from Timor Laut, collected by Mr. Riedel’s hunters, and he came to
the conclusion that the species from the two groups of islands above named were not identical, and he
named the bird from the Tenimber Islands Geofroyius timorlaoensis.

- The differences referred to by Dr. Meyer consist of the smaller size of G. timorlacensis and the green instead
of blue colour on the external aspect of the first primary. We have compared four specimens of the
Timor-Laut birds with two specimens of G. heyensis from the Ké Islands, and we must confess that the
characters for their separation are of the very slightest. We cannot see the smallest difference between the
two species as regards the blue on the first primary, and the only character is the slightly smaller size of
G. timorlaoensis. Mr. Forbes has also written a critique on the species in his entertaining narrative of bis
expedition to Timor Laut, and his conclusions are the same as our own.

In deference to Dr. Meyer’s kindness in lending us the specimens, we have given figures of the species and
add a description.

Adult male, General colour above grass-green, a little lighter towards the under tail-coverts ; wing-coverts
like the back, the innermost reddish, forming a shoulder-patch ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills
dusky blackish, externally dark grass-green, the secondaries entirely of the latter colour ; the first primary edged
with richer and deeper green than the others ; upper tail-coverts lighter green than the back ; tail-feathers
glistening yellow, edged with emerald-green ; crown of lead plum-coloured or purplish lilac, with a frontal
band of scarlet, which colour extends over the lores and entire sides of the face, being tinged with lilac on
the ear-coverts and sides of the head ; throat also scarlet, the lower throat, fore neck, and remainder of
under surface bright grass-green, paler towards the vent and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries cobalt-blue, some of the Jong axillary plumes green with blue tips; the edge of the wing green ;
quills below blackish. Total length 9°5 inches, culmen 1:05, wing 7°0, tail 3°5, tarsus 0°6.

Adult female. Similar to the male, but lacks all the brilliaat colouring of the head and face, the head
being of an olive-yellowish tint all round, including the throat, the crown greener and more like the back.
Total length 9°5 inches, culmen 105, wing 6°85, tail 3°50, tarsus 0:6.

The Plate represents an old male and female of about the natural size, the figures being drawn from the

two birds lent to us by Dr. Meyer.
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