P K EON IT U IK ITS S E T A R IU S .
PRIONITURUS SETARIUS .
Racket-tailed Parrot.
Psittacus setarius, Temm. PI. col. 15.
Prioniturus platurus, Wagl. Mon. Psitt., in Abhand., p. 523.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 6.—Id. Rev. et
Mag. de Zool., no. 3,1854.
Psittacus spatuliger, mas, Bourj. Peri-., t. 53.
Racket-tailed Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 167, pi. xxiv.
Prioniturus platurus et P . JVallacei, G. R. Gray, List of Spec, of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part iii. sec. ii. p. 17.
-------------- setarius, Slat, in Proc. o f Zool. She., part xxviii. p. 223.
The above list of synonyms are those which, in the opinion of Dr. Sclater, have reference to this species; while
the following are assigned to it by Mr. G. R. Gray :—
Psittacus platurus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxv. p. 314.
— -------- ( Conurus) platurus, Temm. et Kuhl, Mon. Psitt., pp. 7, 43.
------------ setarius, Temm. PI. col. 15.
Prioniturus platurus, Wagl. Mon. Psitt., p. 423.
Platycercus ? setarius, Steph. Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 124.
Psittacus spatuliger, mas, Bourj. Perr., t. 53.
Racket-tailed Parrot, Lath. Gen. Hist, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 167, pi. xxiv.
O f the four known species of Parrot forming the genus Prioniturus the present is, 1 believe, the one with
which we were earliest acquainted; but, unfortunately, so much confusion and uncertainty exists respecting
its synonymy, that this part of its history is in the highest degree perplexing. This confusion is partly due to
the fact that neither Latham’s nor Temminck’s figure agree with their descriptions and admeasurements,
and has been further increased by a wrong locality having been given as the native habitat of the bird ; if,
however, the specimen in the Leyden Museum (which I have personally examined) be the one from which
Temminek’s figure and description were taken, there can be no doubt that those lately sent to this
country by Mr. Wallace are perfectly identical, and hence the name of JVallacei proposed by me must sink
into a synonym. Mr. G. R. Gray and Dr. Sclater are at variance with regard to the synonyms referable to
the species of the genus Prioniturus : of course each o f those gentlemen considers his own view of the matter
to be the correct one; I have thought it best, therefore, to give both their lists.
Mr. Wallace’s return to this country during the present month of April, 1862, from his exploration of the
Islands of the Indian Archipelago, enables me, through his courtesy, to give the exact locality of this bird,
together with a brief note of his respecting it.
“ Habitat. The Southern Celebes, near Macassar; and the Northern Celebes, near Menado, in the lowlands
near the sea : it frequents the plantations in small flocks.”
There appears to be a well-marked difference in the outward appearance of the sexes, the female having
the spatulate tips of the two centre tail-feathers much less developed, and being entirely destitute of the
crescentic marks which decorate the crown and upper part of the back of the opposite sex—differences
which, being clearly shown in the accompanying figures, need not be more minutely described.
Male : forehead, back of the head and neck, and the under surface light green, on the crown a crescent
of red, behind which is another of bluish grey; at the base of the neck behind, a broad crescent o f rich deep
orange; lesser wing-coverts or shoulder pale blue, the remainder of the wing-coverts grey washed on the
edges with green; upper surface, wings, central tail-feathers and bases of the lateral ones green, increasing
in depth of hue posteriorly, and with a wash of grey on the upper part of the back; prolonged shafts of the
two central feathers black, the spatulate tips bluish black, with the exception of the basal portion, which is
deep green; lateral tail-feathers tipped with deep b lue; primaries green for two-thirds o f their breadth, on the
upper surface the shafts and remaining third black, on the under surface the green portion is black and
the black is bluish or glaucous green; under tail-coverts green at the base, passing into orange-yellow at
the tip ; bill dark horn-colour; feet mealy grey.
Total length, 13f- inches; bill, I ; wings, 6 |-; tail, 7 ; tarsi, £.
The female is entirely green above, with a wash of yellow on the edges of the wing-feathers; under surface
pale-yellowish green, gradually passing into yellow on the under tail-coverts; spatulate tips of the middle
tail-feathers as in the male, but smaller, and only half an inch distant from the body of the feathers.
The Plate represents a male of the natural size, and a female and another male much reduced.