Psephotus Pulcherrimus Bird
Psephotus Pulcherrimus Bird
English Name:
Latin Name:
Protonym: Platycercus pulcherrimus Ann.Mag.Nat.Hist.(1), 15 p.115
Taxonomy: Psittaciformes / Psittaculidae / Psephotus
Taxonomy Code: parpar2
Type Locality: Darling Downs, Queensland.
Author: Gould
Publish Year: 1845
IUCN Status: Extinct
DEFINITIONS
PSEPHOTUS
(Psittacidae; Ϯ Red-rumped Parrot P. haematonotus) Gr. ψηφωτος psēphōtos inlaid with mosaic stones or jewels < ψηφος psēphos mosaic stone; Slater et al. 1989, consider the epithet to refer to the pattern of the cheek-feathers of this small parrot, but Gould does not allude to that feature; "PSEPHOTUS HÆMATONOTUS, Gould. Red-backed Parrakeet. ... Their movements on the ground are characterized by much grace and activity, and although assembled in one great mass running over the ground like Plovers, they are generally mated in pairs,—a fact easily ascertained by the difference in the colouring of the sexes; the rich red mark on the rump of the male appearing, as the bright sun shines upon it, like a spot of fire. ... rump scarlet; tip and under surface of the shoulder, spurious wing, and the outer edge of the basal half of the primaries rich ultramarine blue; the blue of the shoulder above passing into sulphur-yellow, and forming a conspicuous spot of the latter colour in the centre of the shoulder" (Gould 1845); "Psephotus Gould, Bds. Austr., pt. 19, 1845, pl. [7]; [= 5, pl. 36 of bound volume]. Type, by monotypy, Platycercus haematonotus Gould." (Peters 1937, III, 265).
pulcherrima / pulcherrimus
L. pulcherrimus very beautiful < super. pulcher, pulchra beautiful.
● ex “Pigeon violet à tête rouge d’Antigue” of Sonnerat 1766 (Alectroenas).
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)