OCR Text |
Show 408 MESSRS. LAYARD ON A NEW PARROT. [May 2, 4. Description of a new Species of Parrot of the Genus Nymphicus. By EDGAR L. LAYARD, C.M.G., F.Z.S., &c, H.B.M. Consul, and E. LEOPOLD C. LAYARD, Vice-Consul at Noumea,, New Caledonia. [Eeceived April 28, 1882.] (Plate XXVI.) We have had in our possession for some time a pair of Parrots (<S and 2) wnich we have unaccountably overlooked, mistaking them for immature birds of Nymphicus cornutus. A better acquaintance with the latter, owing to our having killed many of them, and having had examples of the two species before us at the same time, has caused us to detect the differences, and we have much pleasure in introducing this new species to science. It is interesting as being confined to the small island of Uvea, one of the Loyalties, which is perhaps, strictly speaking, a series of small islets, joined together by a connecting reef, having a lagoon in the centre. W e presume, though we have no certain knowledge, that the bird is found chiefly on the large or main island, which faces Lifou, and it is very remarkable that it does not extend to that island. A friend, however, wrote us word, some months since, that, after the hurricane at the beginning of last year, "crested Parrots" had appeared in Lifou. W e will make further inquiries now our attention is turned to the subject, and find out to which species they belong ; we had set them down as N. cornutus of course. The Parrot common on Lifou is, as we have already shown, Trichoglossus massena, Bp. (cf. Ibis, 1879, p. 185, &c). Nymphicus uvaensis, as we propose to call this new species (from the locality where it is found), may be thus described :-Closely resembling N. cornutus, but wanting the red head, orange occiput,* and nuchal collar, and exhibiting only the faintest trace, if at all (in some, not at all), of the orange on the rump. The crest also is totally different. In N. cornutus (Plate X X V I . fig. 1) the crest is usually composed of two feathers (we have seen three when one was about to be shed) much elongated ; 2 inches is a good average length ; we have seen specimens (one now lies before us) in which it is 3 inches long. The feathers are black, faintly tinged with green, and broadly tipped with red; they spring from"the centre of the broad red cap which covers the whole of the top of the head. In N. uvaensis (Plate X X V I . fig. 2) the crest is a bunch of six, short, upturned, and entirely green feathers, springing from the end of a small spot of red, that occupies tbe centre of the forehead, commencing at the nostrils. The crest-feathers are only an inch and a half long. In N. cornutus the red cap reaches nearly to the eye, from which it is separated by the black of the cheeks, which fills "up the space to the bill, and extends under the chin. All this is wanting in N. uvaensis : the black is changed to a dark green, except just on the nostrils' and the ear-coverts and lower part of the cheeks are bright green' |