uuJQ&u
CHARMOSYNA MARGARITM , Tristr.
Duchess of Connaught’s Parrakeet.
Charmosyna margaretha, Tristram, Ibis, 1879, p. 442, pi. xii.
Charmosynopsis margaritee, Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, i. p. 319 (1880).—Id. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, xviii. p. 419
(1882).—Id. Orn. Papuasia, etc. iii. App. p. 520 (1882).
Trichoglossus ( Charmosyna) margarithce, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. vi. p. 720 (1881).
This beautiful little Parrakeet belongs to tbe subgenus Charmosynopm of Salvador!, along with C. pulchella,
to which it is allied. I t differs from the latter bird, h ow e v e r ||n many particulars, in the yellow
collar round the hind neck, and in tbe broad yellow band on the chest, which takes the place of the yellow
streaks in C. pulchella. In the latter species also there is no purplish-black band across the breast as there
is in C. margaritee.
The present bird, named by Canon Tristram in honour o f H.R.H. the Duchess o f Connaught, was
discovered in the Solomon Islands by Lieut. Richards, R.N., and Mr. Ramsay has likewise received
specimens from the same Archipelago. He has very kindly lent os a pair o f birds from the island of Ugi,
the one with the red on the sides of the rump being marked “ male ” and the yellow-sided bird “ female."
The following is a description o f the specimens lent to us by Mr. Ramsay :
Adult male General colour above bright grass-green, the rump and upper tail-coverts washed with golden I
sides o f the lower back crimson; wing-coverts green, like the back; primary-coverts and quills black,
externally green like the b a ck ; tail-feathers crimson slightly tipped with yellow, which increases into a large
terminal mark on all the other feathers, which have black shafts, and an inner broad margin o f black and a
narrower external one o f grass-green; forehead and sinciput crimson, separated by a broad bar o f deep
purplish black on the vertex from the occiput and hinder neck, which a re also crimson, and are succeeded
by a narrow band o f purplish black, followed by a somewhat broader one o f orange-yellow, which divide the
green back from th e crimson neck; lores, sides e ffa c e , cheeks, ear-coverts, sides o f neck, and entire throat
crimson, followed by a narrow band of purplish black, which is succeeded by a broad band of orange-
vellow both these bands being continuous with the similarly coloured bands round the hind neck ; remainder
o f under surface of body crimson, with a band of purplish black across tbe b r e a s t; thighs and basal under
tail-coverts crimson, the longer under tail-coverts grass-green; axillanes and under wing-coverts
crimson ; edge o f wing grass-green. . Total length 7-5 inches, cnlmeu 0 7 , wing 4-25, tail 3-25 tarsus 0-4.
T he female exactly resembles the male, but has less tinge o f golden on the rump, and is further
distinguished by the sides o f the lower back b e i n g orange-yellow, with crimson tips to a few of the feathers.
Total length 7 ’6 inches, culmen 0-65, wing 4-1, tad 3-5, tarsus 0-4. ,
T he figures in the Plate are taken from the pair o f birds mentioned above as lent to us by Mr. Ramsay :