Psittacus erythrocephalus, LINNÆUS; La Perruche cardinale; Der
Cardinal Sittich, BECHSTEIN.
The length of this species is twelve inches, of which the tail, which is
very wedge-shaped, measures six and three quarters. The beak is peach
blossom, and the naked membrane ash coloured, the iris orange, and the
feet grey. All the head is violet, tinted with blue and red; a black
band surrounds the neck; the throat is black, the upper part of the body
dark green, the under part light green.
In the female, the beak is yellow; the head of a dark blue ash-colour,
without the ring round the neck; but the place of it is marked by a
slight yellow tint. The young ones also have no ring, and the colour of
the head is not marked; it varies from rose red to green.