C Y C M P S i r m C E K O T C A H S , Sabed. tcDWerb.
CYCLOPSITTACUS CERVICALIS, Saiv. $ D'Aib.
Southern Ringed Perroquet.
Cyclopsittacu's cervicalis, Salvad. & D’Albert. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, vii. p. 811 (1875).—Salvad, tom. cit.
p. 911.—Id. op. cit. ix. p. 12 (1876); x. p. 28 (1877).—Sharpe, Proc. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 310
(1878).—D’Albert. & Salvad, op. cit. xiv. p. 30 (1879).
T his beautiful species was first discovered by Signor D’Albertis, in South-eastern New Guinea, on Mount
Epa. I t is, as Count Salvadori has rightly pointed out, a representative in the southern part o f New Guinea
of C. desmaresti, which comes from Doray. It is, perhaps, more strictly allied to C. blythii of Mysol, like
which species it has no blue spot under the eye. The differences are pointed out by Count Salvadori; and
the diaguosis which he assigns to the present species reads as follows:— “ Cheeks reddish orange ; on the
breast a single band of blue only; hinder neck, entirely blue.” I t would seem, however, that even a t the
time when he wrote this description he was not in possession o f a perfectly adult bird, as the blue on the
hind neck is now known to disappear with age. F o r a knowledge of the different stages of plumage through
which the present species passes we are indebted to the recent labours o f Signor D ’Albertis, who procured
a series o f some thirty examples from the Fly R iv e r; and an exhaustive account has been written on the
progress of this bird to maturity by Count Salvadori in his description of D’Albertis’s Fly-River collections.
The Count remarks th at this species, which is more beautiful than any o f its allies, is remarkable for the
extreme variability o f its plumage—a fact which is not observable in any of the others. From individuals
having the hind neck blue with a pectoral band of dull blue and the hinder ear-coverts red above and blue
below, a perfect passage is found to specimens which have the hind neck orange-red like the head, with a
cervical collar of fine yellow, and with a pectoral band o f clear sky-blue and the ear-coverts entirely yellow.
T h e latter is the adult d r e s s ; and between the young ones and this stage D ’Albertis’s collection contained a
number o f examples in different stages o f transition.
Beyond tbe specimens o f this Perroquet which Signor D ’Albertis possesses, I have seen but one other,
which was obtained by the late Dr. James in the Eucalyptus-range on the mainland o f South-eastern New
Guinea to the east of Yule Island. This specimen was fully described by Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, and is now
in my collection, but it is evidently not quite adult.
I translate herewith the descriptions'which Count Salvadori has recently published of the adult and young
plumages o f this beautiful species:—
“ Adult. Green ; the head and neck reddish orange, a collar round the hind neck beautiful yellow, sides
of the head yellow, more o r less tinged with reddish o ran g e; a band across the fore part o f the breast, and
the sides o f the breast, pale blue ; upper breast tinged with beautiful orange, a concealed red spot on the
inner quill-feathers.
“ Young. Green ; the head reddish orange, clearer yellow behind; the hind neck beautiful b lu e; the
fore p a rt of the sides of the head reddish orange, the hinder part yellow ; the posterior ear-coverts above
reddish orange, below blue ; a band across the fore p a rt o f the breast bright blue ; the sides of the breast
pale b lu e ; a concealed yellow spot on the inner quills.
“ Total length 7' 1 inches, culmen 1, wing 4 ‘6, tail 2*1, tarsus 0 -5.”
According to Signor D ’Albertis the bill is black, the feet greenish, the iris has an inner circle of
chestnut-brown and an outer one of red.
The food consists o f fruits.
I have to offer my best thanks to Signor D’Albertis for having placed at my disposal for perfecting
the present Plate six magnificent examples o f this fine Parro t, for which liberality I feel, as will also, I
am sure, the public who are interesting themselves in this New-Guinea work, greatly obliged—all such
discoveries going to confirm the opinion frequently expressed by myself, and others that “ New Guinea
is the country left for the researches o f ornithologists,” the natural productions being so marvellous.