On Tuesday, December 12, 2006 2:16 PM Geoffrey Dabb wrote:
Bird observers
may be divided into those who can see purple in P. p.
melanotus, and those who see only blue. Some writers do just say
'blue'.
Leading exponent for the purple faction is the Simpson & Day guide,
which
not only declares for the purple but shows an unlikely violet in its
illustration. ('Purple' is usually a synonym for 'violet' or a more
plummy
colour on the red side of violet.)
I just read this again and looked up some photos.
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=87 and
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Oceania/New_Zealand/photo78834.htm both
show it as having a different colour on the front the back, whatever you
call it. So Simpson and Day might have the wrong colour, but the contrast
in the two colours isn't exaggerated. The museum specimen looked pretty much
the same all over to me.
Peter Shute
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