Pm

Wea
fiir 8

Gy

GEOFFROYIUS HETEROCLITUS, Hombr. § Jacq. |

Yellow-headed Parrot.

Psittacus geoffroyt heteroclitus, Hombr. et Jacq. Ann. Sci. Nat. xvi. p. 319 (1841).

Psittacus heteroclitus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 421, no. 8 (1846).—Id. List Psittacide, Brit. Mus. p. 73 (1859).—
Id. List Birds Tropical Islands of the Pacific Ocean, p. 34 (1859).—Id. Hand-l. B. ii. p. 160,
no. 8277 (1870).

Pione heteroclite, Hombr. et Jacq. Voy. Pdle Sud, pl. 25 bis, figs. 1, 2 (1842-53).

Pionus heteroclitus, Jacq. et. Pucher. Voy. Péle Sud, ili. p. 103 (1853).

Pionus cyaniceps, Jacq. et Pucher. Voy. Péle Sud, texte, iii. p. 105 (1853).

Geoffroyius heteroclitus, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 155.—Souancé, op. cit. 1856, p. 218.—Sclater,
P. Z. S. 1869, p. 122.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. x. p. 30 (1877).

Geoffroyius cyaniceps, Bonap. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 155.—Sclater, P. Z. 5.1877, p. 107.

Pionias heteroclitus, Finsch, Papageien, ii. p. 390 (1868).

 

 

 

Tus beautiful Parrot is so rare in collections, that when Dr. Finsch wrote his celebrated work on ‘the
Psittacidee he had not seen an example; and it is only within the last year that I have had the pleasure of
examining it myself. The original specimens were three in number, and were brought from the islands of
St. George and Ysabel in the Solomon group by the French Expedition to the South Pole. More recently
it has been rediscovered by Mr. George Brown in New Britain, as recorded by Dr. Sclater 7. c.; and I
am indebted to this gentleman for the loan of the specimen from which my Plate has been drawn.

When discovered by MM. Hombron and Jacquinot, a second form with a blue head was also procured,

 

 

which these naturalists considered to be the female of the yellow-headed bird. Dr. Pucheran, in his
account of the birds procured by the expedition, thought otherwise—and believing that the blue-headed
specimen was a distinct species, named it Pronus cyaniceps; but Dr. Finsch agreed with the first opinion,
and made it the female of G. heteroclitus. Iam unable to say for certain whether this is right or wrong,
as I have not yet seen more than one example of the blue-headed form. Recently Dr. Sclater bas considered
it probable that there are two species inhabiting the New-Ireland group ; as, however, Mr. Brown has lately
sent over the yellow-headed and blue-headed specimens figured by me, I incline to the opinion that they
are the same species.

The colouring of this species is so very distinct, that the figures in the Plate will serve to distinguish
it from all its allies. Dr. Finsch places it in the genus Pionias, along with a great many American and
African species, which, according to my views, belong to distinct genera (Prioniturus, Peocephalus, &c.).
But taking his comprehensive view of Pionias, the present species belongs to the first section, with green
under tail-coverts, sky-blue under wing-coverts, and blackish wing-lining. Its yellow head and cheeks,
coupled with the blue band round the neck, are sufficient to distinguish it at a glance.

As before mentioned, the specimens here figured were from Mr. George Brown’s third collection. The
principal figure is of the size of life; and a slightly reduced figure is placed in the back-ground, and is

supposed to be that of a young female.