Part 106

PHILIPPINE RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Psittacus discurus Vieillot, Gal. des Ois. (previous to 1823), 1, 7, pl. 26. Prioniturus discurus Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 417; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 29, McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 49. Prioniturus discurus suluënsis Blasius, Jour. für Orn. (1890), 140.

Pa-lé-ta, Manila; ma-ná-guin, Ticao; ca-gak', Bohol.

Basilan (Steere, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Doherty, McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Leyte (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead); Masbate (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Cuming, Murray, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, Goodfellow); Negros (Steere Exp., Whitehead, Keay); Samar (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Sulu (Burbidge, Platen, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult.--General color green, vertex verditer-blue changing with the light; rest of head, neck, and face bright grass-green; rest of upper parts and wings dark green; below uniform yellowish green; spatules black, sometimes tinged with green or with blue; short rectrices blue along shaft, bordered with green and tipped with black. Sexes alike. Iris dark; cere very dark blue; bill light horn-blue; feet and nails darker blue. Length, including rackets, 292 to 317; four specimens from Ticao measure, wing, 160 to 169; tail without rackets, 76 to 85; culmen from cere, 21 to 23; tarsus, 15 to 17.

"A common and widely spread species. P. discurus, as well as the other five Philippine representatives of the genus, is usually met with in the forest or in fruit trees in the open, where it has gone to feed. At certain seasons it frequents the mangrove swamps. All the Philippine species are birds of very rapid flight, and scream almost constantly when on the wing. They usually fly in small flocks. In the forest they make the most of their protective coloring, and one may pass within ten feet of one without seeing it.

"Measurements are given exclusive of rackets. Four males from Basilan measure, 232 in length; wing, 149; tail, 66; culmen, 21; tarsus, 14; middle toe with claw, 28.

"Sibuyan birds are slightly larger, and have a light yellowish green area on back, but we do not feel warranted in separating them. Three females from Sibuyan measure, 257 in length; wing, 161; tail, 134; culmen, 22; tarsus, 16; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris brown; legs and feet leaden; nails blackish; bill grayish white." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

238. PRIONITURUS WATERSTRADTI Rothschild.

WATERSTRADT'S RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Prioniturus waterstradti Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club (1904), 14, 72; Hartert, Novit. Zool. (1906), 13, 756; Grant, Ibis (1906), 495; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 49.

Mindanao (Waterstradt, Goodfellow).

Male.--"Forehead to the eyes pale blue, the feathers being green at base; lores and sides of face greenish blue; sinciput and nape grass-green; scapulars and back green with a slight brownish tinge; rump light greenish brown; wings outwardly bright green, inner webs of remiges, blackish from above, pale bluish from below; upper wing-coverts grass-green, slightly tinged with blue near bend of wing; rectrices, bright green from above, bluish from below, tipped with dull black for about 12 to 14 mm., the central pair quite green except the shaft and spatules, which are dull black; entire under side uniform yellowish green. Bill (in skin) whitish with leaden-gray base; feet dark gray. Wing, 152 to 157; tail, about 66, with lengthened central pair, 120 to 140; culmen from cere, 22; metatarsus, 15. One specimen marked '[female]' is similar to the male." (Rothschild.)

This species is known from specimens collected by Waterstradt on Mount Apo at 900 meters elevation, and by Goodfellow at 2,500 meters.

239. PRIONITURUS MINDORENSIS Steere.

MINDORO RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Prioniturus mindorensis Steere, List Birds and Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 6; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 419; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 29; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 49.

Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Porter).

Male.--Most nearly related to P. discurus but distinguished by the crown patch which in mindorensis is blue with a slight violet tinge and is sharply defined in front against the green forehead; the bill is larger and the rackets are never so long as in adult specimens of discurus. Length, including rackets, 317; wing, 165; tail without rackets, 90; culmen from front margin of cere, 22.

Female.--Similar to female of discurus but often with traces of the violet crown patch. Length, including rackets, 300; wing, 160; tail without rackets, 90; culmen from front margin of cere, 21.

"Three males average, 268 in length, exclusive of rackets; wing, 162; tail, 135; culmen, 20; tarsus, 21; middle toe with claw, 28. A female measures, 261 in length; wing, 154; tail, 118; culmen, 21; tarsus, 15; middle toe with claw, 27. Iris light straw-yellow, nearly white; legs, feet, and nails light leaden; bill pale horn-color." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

240. PRIONITURUS CYANEICEPS Sharpe.

BLUE RACKET-TAILED PARRAKEET.

Prioniturus cyaneiceps Sharpe, Ibis (1888), 194; Hand-List (1900), 2, 29; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 419; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 49.

Balabac (Steere, Everett); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino, White).

Male.--All of head, neck, and under parts bright verditer-blue, a little duller below where the feathers are yellowish at base, this when specimen is held toward the light, away from the light the blue parts become light bluish green; under tail-coverts bright greenish yellow and tipped with green; wings, back, and rump grass-green; tail-spatules black, touched with green; short rectrices green, deep blue along the shaft, tip black. Bill bluish white; legs blackish. A male from Palawan measures: Wing, 150; tail without rackets, 77; culmen from front margin of cere, 19.

Female.--Differs from the male in having the blue restricted to top and sides of head and in having the lower parts uniform light green with traces of blue; under tail-coverts deeper yellow than in the male.

Young.--"Green, with no verditer-blue shade on the head and neck; greater wing-coverts and secondaries edged with yellowish green; under parts yellowish green; under tail-coverts yellow, washed with greenish; middle tail-feathers longer than the lateral ones, narrow towards the point and entirely webbed." (Salvadori.)