NASITERNA KELENSIS, Salvad.

Ke-Island Pygmy Parrot.

Nasiterna ketensis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 984 (1875), x. p. 26. sp. 10 (1877

?Nasiterna pygmea (pt.), Schl. N. T. D. iii. p. 331 (1866, spec. from Aru Islands).—Rosenb. (nec Q. & G.),
Reis naar zuidostereil. pp. 48, 49 (1867, Aru).—Schl. N. T. D. iv. pp. 5, 7 (pt., 1871).—Id. Mus. P.-
B. Psittaci, Revue, p. 71 (pt., 1874).

2? Nasiterna aruensis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 985 (1875, ex Schlegel), x. p. 25, note 2 (1877).

 

I nave reproduced exactly the synonymy which my friend Count Salvadori has sent to me, as it explains
so thoroughly the history of the species, and makes clear the following note with which he has favoured
me :—‘ The Ké-Island Pygmy Parrot is very like the female of V. pygmea; but it is larger, has the pileum
more conspicuously ochraceous yellow, and the underparts more greenish, and without the yellow tint.
Male and female scarcely differ. Total length 3-9-3-6 inches, culmen 4°5, wing 2°2-2°6, reall cecal

‘Besides the three typical specimens, two males and a female, collected by Beccari on the Keé Islands
and described by me, I have seen in the Leiden Museum two examples from the Aru Islands, collected by
Von Rosenberg, which have been spoken of by Professor Schlegel. They are in rather bad condition ; and
although they seem to resemble the birds from the Ké Islands, with which I have compared them, I am not
quite sure that they really belong to the same species.”

Count Salvadori left with me for the purpose of this work a fine male and female; and as these appear
to be fully adult, we may conclude that the species has none of the richer colour on the breast as in
N. pygmea, from which it also differs in the more conspicuous spotting of the shoulder. I have no doubt
as to the specific value of WV. keensis,

The following description is drawn up from the typical specimens :—

Crown dirty yellow, forming a well-defined cap; face suffused with brown, which gradually blends into
green on the cheeks ; all the upper and under surface green, the back being of a deeper hue than the lower
parts; on the chest of the male in certain lights is a very delicate wash of blue. Primaries blackish brown,
each feather slightly margined with green ; secondaries and, especially, the feathers of the shoulder conspi-
cuously spotted with black; two centre tail-feathers blue on the upper surface, with the shaft black, the
four or five outer feathers on each side with the usual spot of yellow on the tips of their inner webs; the
spines of the centre feathers very fine, but little prolonged, and without the spot of black found in some of
the species ; under tail-coverts yellow, stained with green.

The figures in the Plate are taken from the type specimens, and are of the natural size. It will be seen
that the sexes are alike in colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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