Extinct Birds Part 19

_Psittacus violaceus_ Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 337 (1788).

Labat's translated original description is as follows:--"Those of Guadaloupe are a little smaller than the _Aras_; they have the head, the neck, and the belly slate colour with a few green and black feathers, the back is entirely green, and the wings are yellow and red."

Gmelin's description reads thus:--"Ps. violaceus viridi et nigro admisto varius, dorso ex fusco viridi, remigibus majoribus nigris, reliquis ex luteo, viridi, et rubro variis, tectric.u.m macula rosea. Rostrum et orbitae incarnata."

Du Tertre's description is as follows:--"He is about as big as a fowl, has the beak and eyes bordered with red. All the feathers of the head, neck and belly are of a violet colour, a little mixed with black and green, shot like the throat of a pigeon. All the upper part of the back is green, strongly washed with brown. Outer primaries black, rest yellow, green and red."

No specimens in collections.

Habitat: Guadaloupe.

AMAZONA MARTINICANA CLARK.

(PLATE 18.)

_Perroquets_ Labat's Voy. aux iles de l'Amer. II p. 214 (1742).

_Amazona martinicana_ Clark, Auk. XXII, p. 343 (1905).

Labat's description reads thus:--"Those of Dominica have some red feathers on the wings, under the throat, and in the tail; all the rest is green (Amazona bouqueti, W.R.). Those of Martinique have the same plumage as the last mentioned, but the top of the head is slate colour with a small amount of red."

No specimen now known.

Habitat: Martinique.

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CONURUS LABATI ROTHSCH.

(PLATE 16.)

_Perriques_ Labat, Voy. aux iles de l'Amer. II p. 218 (1742).

_Conurus labati_ Rothsch. Bull. B.O.C. XVI, p. 13 (1905); Proc. IV Orn.

Congr., p. 202 (1907).

Labat's translated description of this bird is as follows:--"Those of Guadaloupe are about the size of a blackbird, entirely green, except a few small red feathers, which they have on their head. Their bill is white.

They are very gentle, loving, and learn to speak easily."

No specimens known.

Habitat: Island of Guadaloupe.

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NECROPSITTACUS MILNE-EDW.

_Necropsittacus_ Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sc. Nat. (5) XIX, Art. 3, p. 18 (1874).

Milne-Edwards considered _Necropsittacus_ closely allied to the genus _Palaeornis_, and at the same time to show affinities with the _Loriidae_.

At the same time the two mandibles were sufficient, in his opinion, to show that this bird belonged to a little generic group standing near _Palaeornis_.

NECROPSITTACUS RODRICa.n.u.s (MILNE-EDW.)

_Psittacus Rodrica.n.u.s_ A. Milne-Edw., Ann. Sc. Nat. (5) VIII, pp.

151-155, pl. 7, ff. 1, 2 (1867).

_Necropsittacus roderica.n.u.s_ A. Newt., P.Z.S. p. 41 (1875).

This parrot was described from a portion of the upper mandible by Professor Milne-Edwards, and then was more fully described by Dr. Gunther and Sir Edward Newton, who examined a nearly complete skull and other bones.

A ma.n.u.script discovered in the Archives of the Ministry of Marine in Paris proves that this bird only became extinct at a not very distant date, it having been seen alive by the writer of the ma.n.u.script about the year 1731.

In this ma.n.u.script the bird was said to have a body considerably larger than a pigeon, with a _very_ long tail and a _very_ large head and bill.

Unfortunately the writer does not mention the colour, but adds that the smaller green and blue parrot (_Palaeornis exsul_) was much handsomer; so we can safely a.s.sume that our bird was of sombre colouration. It was undoubtedly closely allied to the genus _Palaeornis_. The two following, though much brighter coloured and but scantily described, apparently belong to the same genus.

Habitat: Rodriguez. {62}

NECROPSITTACUS(?) BORBONICUS NOM. NOV.

(PLATE 8.)

This parrot is described by the Sieur D.B. (Dubois) in the following terms:--"Body the size of a large pigeon, green; head, tail and upper part of wings the colour of fire." As he compares it with the other parrots which are true _Palaeornis_, it is evident that this bird must have been a _Necropsittacus_.

This description is the sole evidence we have of the existence of this bird.

Habitat: Bourbon or Reunion.

NECROPSITTACUS(?) FRANCICUS ROTHSCH.

_Necropsittacus francicus_ Rothsch., Proceedings Int. Ornith. Congress 1905, p. 197 (1907).

Original description:--"Head and tail fiery red, rest of body and wings green." We only know this bird from the descriptions in the various "Voyages" to Mauritius in the 17th and early 18th centuries.

Habitat: Mauritius.

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