139 



from Mr. Harper that while he was attending to the birds, the female had 

 escaped from its cage and disappeared through the open window; a most 

 annoying and unfortunate mishap, especially with so rare a species and the 

 fact that the ? was in much the better condition. 



The male bird had been badly pecked during the voyage to this 

 country, in fact the nape, back of neck, and part of upper back was plucked 

 so bare that it looked doubtful as to whether the feathers would be 

 renewed. However, eventually the desire to possess it over-rode all 

 scruples and it came into my possession in August 1907 and remained with 

 me till May 1908, when it passed into the collection of our esteemed member 

 Mr. 0. Millsum. Unfortunately, when I saw the ? at Mr. Harper's I omitted 

 to take any notes of its plumage, but so far as I remember it I think Mr. 

 Harper's specimen was a little darker in hue, than the figure* on 

 the plate. No artist, whatever his ability, can do justice to the major por- 

 tion of the genus Calliste and certainly fine and correct as Mr. Goodchild's 

 drawing is, it is not anything like so brilliant as the living bird. 



Description : Adult male : Top of head shining rufous-ochreous ; 

 general body colouring golden ochreous ; facial patch round eyes and 

 over ear-coverts black ; back and rump greenish ; wings and tail black, 

 broadly margined on outer-webs with brilliant bluish-green ; larger wing 

 feathers have tips and inner webs margined with brown ; throat and breast 

 rich glossy lilaciue; abdomen greyish-lilaciue ; beak blackish ; legs and feet 

 greyish-brown. Total length 4J inches, tail \\. 



Adult female : Differs from the male. General body colouring 

 greyish-ochreons, washed on the crown with rufous and on the breast with 

 bluish ; wings and tail black, with olive green margins ; facial patches 

 blackish. 



For the first few weeks of its stay with me I feared it would not grow a 

 feather 011 the back of its neck, though those on the upper back were 

 speedily reproduced, but it soon rallied and in about two mouths all bare 

 areas were covered ; after this it went almost immediately into the moult, 

 which it successfully passed through, and was then a spectacle of living 

 beauty. 



It received my usual treatment, viz., a roomy flight \\ x i\ X 3J feet 

 high, branches and food vessels so arranged as to force it to take exercise, 

 and my usual diet of soft food, ripe fruit ad lib., at least 6 mealworms daily, 

 and lettuce as green food. During the 9 or 10 months it remained with me, 

 it never ailed at all, not even when in poor plumage, and I should 

 certainly class it as a very robust species. The greenhouse-birdroom in 

 which it passed the winter was rather damp, and only had a small oil-stove 

 burning during the very coldest nights. Its demeanour was certainly 

 cheerful, even during dull winter ; it sang all throng 1 the cold weather and 

 and was fit indeed, when I reluctantly yielded to our member's persuasions 



* ? Painted liom British Museum skins. 



