62 Mr. Vigors's Sketches in Omithologi/. 



sian collection belonging to the Linnean Society, I refrain from say- 

 ing more on these interesting birds at present, than that while they 

 retain their affinity to PalceorniSy by still showing the rudiments of 

 a colh'ir round the neck, they exhibit in the deep red and blue 

 colours that partially contrast themselves with the green, a near 

 approach to the true Indian Lories, A beautiful species, the 

 Psit. ornatus of Linnaeus, or Perruche Lori of M. BufFon, a name 

 most significant of the affinities of the bird, immediately unites 

 the two groups. In that species we may observe an exact similar- 

 ity of colours, and the same disposition of them as prevails in 

 Psii. hcematodus ; this is so stronglj' the case as to render it 

 difficult at first sight to distinguish the former bird from the sup- 

 posed female of the latter. The tail, however, considerably 

 shorter than in hcematodus^ and nearly approaching the short tail 

 of the Lories^ points out a distinguishing character, and evinces 

 the central and connecting position of this species between the 

 two genera. We have now entered fully among the Indian Lories^ 

 the genus Lorius of M. Brisson, a distinguished group, known by 

 their brilliant red, and deep amethystine plumage, and familiar 

 to all whose thoughts and feelings are associated with the East. 

 In some of the species, as for instance L. domicella, the 'vestiges 

 of the collar round the neck are still discernible. The chief 

 character of the group is the form of the tail, which is as short as 

 in the typical, or even-tailed Parrots, but which retain the cune- 

 ated form of the long-tailed subfamilies. In this peculiarity it 

 appears to stand at that point in the present circle of long-tailed 

 Parrakeets, which immediately touches the neighbouring circle 

 composed of the short and even-tailed birds. In the bill also, 

 which we have seen in the preceding groups to desert the abbre- 

 viated form of the bill of the MaccazvSy and to become gradually 

 longer, the genus Lorius is allied to the typical subfamilies, 

 where the under mandible presents the greatest length that is 

 found among the Psittacidoe. We have still a strong peculiarity to 

 notice in these Lories : their tongues also, in addition to that of 

 P. hcematodus, partake of a singular construction. I am informed 

 by Sir Staniford Raffles that all these birds have an apparently 

 tubular or brushlike tongue, which he has been frequently in- 



