Psittacus bimaculatus, SPARRMANN; Perruche à Moustache; Der
Zweyfleckige, Sittich, BECHSTEIN.
The length of this very beautiful parrot is fourteen inches, of which
the tail measures more than half; its size is that of the turtle-dove,
but very slender. The beak is large, orange-coloured, or pale blood red;
the head of a fine ash colour, tinted with green on the top, and having
a narrow black band on the forehead; the part near the eyes is naked,
and pale flesh-coloured; the forehead light yellow; an almost triangular
spot extends from the base of the beak across the cheeks to the throat;
all the top of the body is meadow green, spotted with black. The under
part of the body is of a deep rose colour.
There is a variety of this species with a black beak.
In the female, or what is supposed to be so, the forehead, the throat,
the sides of the head and neck are pale orange colour; an oval black
streak descends from the corners of the beak towards the throat; the
nape, the top of the neck, the shoulders, back, rump, and upper part of
the tail, are meadow green. The breast and belly, to the extremity, are
of a fine green.
OBSERVATIONS.--This bird is very docile, amiable, and talkative. Its
mildness is very pleasing, and it is extremely affectionate and
caressing. Its cry is "_gaie, gaie, gaie_." It comes from the Islands
of the Southern Ocean and Botany Bay.