C Y C L O F a iT T A 0 û € C O T E I f RCWS o
CYCLOPSITTA COCCINEIFRONS.
Astrolabe-Mountain Perroquet.
Cyclopsittacus coccinei/rons, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. xvi. pp. 318, 426 (1882).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic.
Genov, xviii. p. 418 (1882).—Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, iii. p. 516 (1882).
T his species was discovered by Mr. Goldie in the Morocco district of the Astrolabe Mountains in Southeastern
New Guinea. Mr. H. O. Forbes has recently met with it iu the Sogeri district on the same range
o f mountains.
We separated the present species from C. diophthahnus on account o f the darker colour of the red on the
crown, but now th at we have had an opportunity o f examining a second specimen, and th at a male bird, we do
not find that this distinction is upheld, but the species is nevertheless different from C. diophthalmus. It may
in fact be recognized by the g reater breadth o f the yellow band across the crown, which is little more than
a narrow line in the last-named species.
Neither Mr. Goldie nor Mr. Forbes have given any information respecting the habits o f this pretty little
Perroquet, but the former gentleman states th at it is called ‘ Ciguri ’ by the natives of the Astrolabe Mountains.
The following is a description o f the sexes o f this species :—
Adult female. General colour above grass-green; lesser wing-coverts like the back, becoming a little
brighter on the median and g reater coverts, the outermost o f which are slightly washed with b lu e ; bastard-
wing and primary-coverts deep blue ; quills black, the primaries externally deep b lu e ; the secondaries green
like the b a c k ; the innermost marked with scarlet on the inner web, as also the innermost g reater coverts ;
tail-feathers darker green than the hack, washed with blue near the base and on the inner w e b ; a broad
band across the forehead and sinciput, deep scarlet o r dull crimson, succeeded by a well-defined band of
yellow, the occiput and nape and hind neck a little more yellowish green than the back; lores crimson, as
also a streak below the e y e ; above the fore p a rt o f the eye a broad streak o r longitudinal spot of greenish
tu rq u o ise; ear-coverts and cheeks pale drab-brown, washed with greenish blue below, and with a narrow
line o f purplish blue behind the ear-coverts; under surface o f body light emerald-green, with a broad streak
of golden yellow down the sides o f the b ody; thighs and under tail-coverts light emerald-green, the long
ones edged with yellow; under wing-coverts emerald-green, those near the edge o f the wing deep bluish
green ; axillaries emerald-green with a darker green c e n tr e ; lower coverts and quills below dusky blackish,
crossed with a double bar o f pale yellow. Total length 5 '6 inches, culmen 0 -55, wing 3 ’65, tail 1’55,
tarsus 0'3 .
The adult male differs from the type, which is evidently a female, in having the cheeks and sides o f face
scarlet: “ bill bluish carneous, black on the tips o f the mandibles; legs and feet pale blue; iris orange-
r e d ” (H . 0 . Forbes). Total length 5 '5 inches, wing 3 ‘25, tail 1*45, tarsus 0 ’35.
The Plate represents an adult male in two positions, the figures being drawn from a specimen procured
by Mr. Forbes in the Astrolabe Mountains.
[R. B. S.]