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CYCL.GPSITTA MACCOYI, Gould.
CYCLOPSITTA MACCOYI, Gould.
M‘Coy’s Perroquet.
Cyclopsitta Maccoyi, Gould, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 314 (April).
— Leadbeateri, M'Coy, Ann. N. H. (4) xvi. p. 54 (July 1875).
A u s t r a l i a now possesses two species o f Cyclopsitta, a genus unknown to inhabit the continent until a few
years ago, when the C. Coxeni was discovered. New Guinea has three species, the Aru Islands and the
Philippines two each, while C. B ly th i is confined to the island o f Mysol. The distribution o f this little
genus is therefore very remarkable, and its absence from Celebes and the Halmahera group o f islands
is not what we should have expected.
I am indebted to Mr. Waller, o f Brisbane, for the loan o f the specimens from which my original
description was tak e n ; and I felt great pleasure in adopting the suggestion o f th at gentleman th at I should
confer upon the species the name o f Professor M‘Coy, to whom so much o f the progress o f science in the
Australian colonies is due. Unfortunately this little bird is already burdened with a synonym; for nearly at
the same time th at I described it, Professor M‘Coy himself sent a description o f the species, proposing for
it the name o f C. Leadbeateri. H e gives the characters as follows :— “ The general size, shape, and
colouring is nearly like th at o f C. Coxeni; but it is somewhat smaller, and has in both sexes an oblong
patch o f red on the forehead, ju st over the cere. I t differs also in habitat, frequenting the scrubs more
than C. Coxeni does. I t seems to be rath er rare at Cardwell, where the specimens described were collected
by Mr. Broadbent.”
Male.— General colour green, the face having all the fantastic colours o f the Harlequin ; on the forehead
a band o f bright scarlet, surrounded by cobalt, a shade o f the same colour encircling the latter, narrow
above, broader below; on the cheeks, from the base o f the bill to the tips o f the ear-coverts, a band of
scarlet like tb at on the forehead ; and below this is an obscure band o f purplish blue, gradually fading off
into the green o f the neck ; flank-feathers tipped with bright lemon-yellow; quills externally blue, the inner
secondaries green, with the usual tiny patch o f scarlet adjoining the back ; tail green ; under wing-coverts
green, the outer ones washed with b lu e ; quills blackish below, diagonally crossed near the base with a
yellow band. Total length inches ; wing 3 |, tail 11, tarsus f .
Female.—Differs from the male in wanting the scarlet cheeks ; in other respects similar.
All the members o f this little genus roam about in flocks, but, perched among the leaves and flowers of
the Eucalypti, a re excessively silent and seldom betray their presence until the whole company simultaneously
burst forth into the open air and wing their way to other trees.
The figures in the Plate are o f the size o f life.