CHARMOSYNA PULCH ELLA, Gray.

Pectoral Lorikeet.

Charmosyna pulchella, Gray, List Psittac. B. M. p. 877 (1859).— Wall. P. Z.S. 1864, p. 292.—Salvad. Ann. Mus.
Civ. Genova, vii. p. 813 (1875).
——— pectoralis, Von Rosenb. J. f. O. 1862, p. 64.—Id. Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 1863, p. 144.—Id.
J. f. O. 1864, p. 112.
Eos pulchella, Schl. Dirent. p. 69 (1864).
Trichoglossus pulchellus, Finsch, Papag. ii. p. 877 (1868).—Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 157 (1870).—Meyer, Sitz.
Akad. Wien, lxix. pp. 74, 76.

 

_ Dr. Orro Fivscn, our greatest authority on the family Psittacide, places the present beautiful little species
near the end of his comprehensive genus Zrichoglossus, in the vicinity of Charmosyna papuensis, which lhe
does not consider generically separable. Its near allies he admits also to be the elegant little birds which I
have figured in the present work as Psitteuteles placens, &c.; but I contend that its general form and
coloration make it rather a Charmosyna, in which genus it was placed by the late Mr. Gray, and also by its
original discoverer Mr. A. R. Wallace. As Dr. Finsch remarks very truly, it does not show the extremely
long tail-feathers which adorn C. papuensis ; but I think that any one comparing the plates in this volume
will see that in general system of coloration it agrees best with the last-named species.

I regret to say that nothing whatever has been recorded respecting its habits and economy ; and it does
not seem to be a common bird even in the country which it inhabits. This is the northern part of New
Guinea, Mr. Wallace having discovered it at Dorey, and Signor d’Albertis having also met with it in Atam.

The following is Mr. Gray’s original description :—

“Total length 72 inches, wings 33. Head and underpart of the body carmine; the breast-feathers
green at base, with some small streaks of bright yellow ; crown and spot on the lower part of back purplish
black ; nape, back, wings, and base of tail-feathers green; sides of rump bright yellow; thighs green,
streaked with bright yellow; knees purplish black; middle tail-feathers mostly carmine, with the tips
yellow ; lateral feathers green, with the inner web carmine and the tips bright yellow.”

Not only is great elegance of form conspicuous among the species of this genus, but how strikingly does
the tint of red prevail not only in the pretty Charmosyna, but in most of the Lories and Lorikeets and other
birds of the rich region of Papuana!—a feature which must have forcibly struck any person who has made a
study of comparing the birds of Asia and India, on the one hand, with those of Australia and New Zealand
on the other. With the exception of Mr. Wallace’s specimen now in the British Museum, no examples, as
far as I am aware, have been brought to this country.

The figures in the accompanying Plate represent a supposed male and female, of the size of life.

I am indebted to the courtesy of Dr. Meyer in sending these birds to England.