Part 105

b1. A bright red patch on vertex.

c1. "Hind neck yellowish green". ... verticalis (p. 276) c2. Hind neck grass-green. ... montanus (p. 276)

b2. No red patch on vertex.

c1. Rump green like the back.

d1. Forehead green. ... discurus (p. 277) d2. Forehead and crown blue. ... suluensis (p. 277)

c2. "Rump light greenish brown". ... waterstradti (p. 279)

a2. Wing, 142 to 155 mm.

b1. Upper parts not uniform in color.

c1. Top of head violet-blue. ... mindorensis (p. 279) c2. Top of head verditer-blue; throat and breast blue. ... cyaneiceps (p. 280)

b2. Upper and under parts nearly uniform; general color more yellowish. ... luconensis (p. 280)

235. PRIONITURUS VERTICALIS Sharpe.

EVERETT'S RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Prioniturus verticalis Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1893), 3, 10; Ibis (1894), 248, pl. 6; Hand-List (1900), 2, 29; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 48.

Bongao (Everett); Sibutu (Everett); Tawi Tawi (Everett, Bourns & Worcester).

Male.--Crown light blue with a small scarlet patch in the center; forehead, nape, and sides of head grass-green; neck and sides of neck yellowish green; remainder of upper parts, including exposed edges of wing- and tail-feathers, dark grass-green; lower parts greenish yellow, breast clearer yellow, abdomen, flanks, and crissum more greenish. A male from Tawi Tawi measures: Wing, 180; tail with rackets, 150; culmen from front margin of cere, 21.

Female.--"Differs from the male in being emerald-green all over, and wanting the verditer-blue on the head as well as the scarlet spot on the latter." (Sharpe.)

"Discovered by us in October, 1891; it is the finest of the Philippines representatives of the genus. Found in deep forest, but especially abundant in the high mangrove trees south of Tataan. The amount of red on its head is exaggerated in the plate in The Ibis, and it is too light in color.

"Eight males from Tawi Tawi measure, 268 in length; wing, 171; tail, exclusive of racket, 90; culmen, 22; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 29. Four females measure, length, 255; wing, 165; tail, 96; culmen, 21; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 28. Iris varies from pale yellow to hazel; legs and feet gray; nails gray to black; bill gray to white." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

236. PRIONITURUS MONTANUS Grant.

MOUNTAIN RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Prioniturus montanus Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1895), 4, 41; Ibis (1895), 466; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 397; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 29; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 48.

U-lis', Benguet.

Luzon (Whitehead, Worcester, McGregor, Mearns.)

Male.--Forehead, lores, and face blue, bases of the feathers largely green; a large red spot on vertex, surrounded by blue; hind head, neck, and sides of neck grass-green; mantle, back, and rump duller and more yellowish green; wings, upper tail-coverts, and middle pair of rectrices grass-green; lower parts green, slightly yellowish. Iris gray; bill, legs, and nails light horn-blue. Whitehead gives the iris as "dark brown." Length, including rackets, 305 to 317; two males measure, wing, 164 to 166; tail, without rackets, 84 to 85; culmen from cere, 20 to 21; tarsus, 15 to 16.

Female.--Much like male but red and blue of head and face replaced by dark green; a slight trace of blue on forehead and around eyes. Colors of soft parts as in the male. "Differs from the female of P. verticalis in having the head dull grass-green, the forehead, lores, sides of the crown, and feathers round the eyes being washed with blue. The under parts are like those of the male and never yellow-green as in the Sibutu female." (Grant.) One female measures, wing, 158; tail without rackets, 83; culmen from cere, 20; tarsus, 17.

Young.--Immature birds of each sex resemble the adult female.

The mountain racket-tailed parrakeet was discovered by Whitehead in the mountains of Abra and Lepanto Provinces. At San Jose a live bird was purchased. The natives said it "had been snared in their maize-fields and that it was common enough when the cereal was ripe." We collected a number of specimens in Benguet Province where it was not uncommon though somewhat difficult to secure; the species is well known to the Igorot by the name "u-lis." It is improbable that this beautiful parrot occurs below the pine belt but with our meager knowledge of the vertical distribution of birds in the Philippines it is better to follow this statement with a large interrogation mark. This species is very noisy and does not differ in habits from lowland members of the genus.

237. PRIONITURUS DISCURUS (Vieillot).