Zoological Illustrations, Volume 2: or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting AnimalsSwainson, William
Science
Zoological Illustrations, Volume 2: or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals
Swainson, William
Animals -- Pictorial works
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I have before observed, that this genus of birds was first characterized
under the name of _Pogonias_, by Illiger, in 1811; some years after (1815),
M. Vieillot changed the name to _Pogonia_, without taking any notice of
Illiger's denomination, and Dr. Leach has followed Vieillot without
probably being aware of the plagiarism; Vieillot's name must, however, be
expunged, as Mr. Brown has some time back affixed the name of _Pogonia_ to
a remarkable genus of plants.
Total length about seven inches; bill blueish black, one inch two lines
long, and large in proportion; the tooth in the middle very prominent;
behind the eye is a short white stripe, and another much longer begins from
the under mandible, and goes half way down the neck; the chin and part of
the throat, together with the head and neck above, deep black, which
changes to a dark brown on the back, wings, covers, and tail; a small round
sulphur spot is on the tip of each feather of the hind head, back, and
lesser wing covers; the quills pale brown, margined with sulphur; the under
plumage is greenish sulphur, closely spotted with blackish; the most
extraordinary peculiarity of this bird consists in the feathers of the
breast, which are more rigid than the others, pointed, and the shaft of the
lower ones ending in fine incurved setaceous hairs, many of which are near
an inch long. The probable use this particular formation is intended for,
it is impossible to conjecture.
Mr. B. Leadbeater, to whom I am often obliged for the inspection of rare
subjects, received this from Africa, and it is the only individual of the
species I ever heard of.
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Pl. 73
[Illustration]
PSITTACUS pulchellus,
_Turcosine Parrakeet._
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GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 1.
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SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
_P. macrourus, supra viridis, subtus fulvus; sincipite, genis,
tegminibusque cyaneis, remigibus caeruleis; rectricibus lateralibus
fulvis._
Long-tailed Parrakeet, green above; yellow beneath; forepart of the
head, cheeks, and wing covers light blue; quills deep blue; lateral
tail feathers yellow.
_Shaw, Naturalist's Misc._ 3. _pl._ 96. _Latham, Suppl._ 2. _p._ 88.
_no._ 14.
_La Perruche Edwards, Le Vaillant_, _pl._ 68. (female). _Gen. Zool._ 8,
470.
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It is impossible to represent this superbly coloured little creature in its
full beauty, though the figure will not be found very defective. The only
representation of the male is in the Naturalist's Miscellany, where it
cannot be recognized, and Le Vaillant's is of the female, which differs
considerably from the other sex. It is a rare species, and peculiar to New
Holland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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