February 12, 1850
Year: 1850
Type: article
Abstract: The genus Los is, like Eclectus, a new instance of the impropriety of that middling course (as disgusting in science as it is in politics), of uniting together by two and two, four and four, &c., small groups (or States), which, natural by themselves, have no stronger relation to each other than to any other member of their family.Take for example (comparing them to Naples and Sicily !) Spiza and Paroaria, Bon., united by G. R. Gray under his Spiza!amongst the Fringillide, and amongst the Parrots Psittacodis* and Eelectus confounded together by the same process!The genus Los is intermediate between the two subfamilies Trcchoglossine and Loriine.Although it may astonish some naturalists that I do not consider it as one of the latter, still, on account of its tail, its anatomy and its habits, I keep it within the boundaries of the former, in close relation with my new genus Chalcopsitta t, * Since I speak of Psittacodis (the only green Genus of Lorine Parrots, which forms the same beautiful passage from Loriine to Psittacine that Eos does from Trichoglossine to Loriine), let me submit to the Society the phrases of two new species that make the whole number hitherto known five: they come as near Psittacodis magnus or sinensis (with which I for that reason compare them) as the three Eelecti do to each other :--1.Psirracus MAGNUS et sINENSIS, Gm. (viridis, Lath.; lateralis, Shaw;
Author: William Yarrell
Language: English
Topic: Avian ecology and behavior
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1159171237