290 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



252. LORICULUS PHILIPPENSIS (P. L. S. Muller). 

 LUZON COLASISI. 



Psittacus philippensis P. L. S. Muller, Syst. Nat. Suppl. (1776), 80. 



Loriculus philippensis Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 524; 

 Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, .30; McGregor and Worcester, Hand- 

 List (1906), 50. 



Co-la-si-si, Manila. 



Ban ton (Celestino) ; Catanduanes (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Mdl- 

 lendorff, Bteere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor) ; Marinduque 

 (Steere Exp.). 



Adult male. — Forehead red, bordered behind by a narrow line of 

 yellow; crown faintly tinged with yellow; a narrow golden orange band 

 or spot on nape. Length, 160 ; wing, 92 ; tail, 43 ; culmen from cere, 15. 



Adult female. — Differs from the male in having the cheeks blue and 

 under parts yellowish green with no red breast-patch. Length, 152; 

 wing, 93; tail, 45; culmen from cere, 13. 



"The habits of the Philippine representatives of this genus agree so 

 closely that a description of one species will suffice for all. The eight 

 Philippine species at present known are all peculiar to the group. They 

 are common in the deep forests of the wilder islands, but are most readily 

 observed and easily obtained in the coconut groves near and in the native 

 villages, where they feed on the young blossoms and drink the 'tuba.' 

 The latter article of diet is the palm juice which the natives obtain by 

 cutting off the blossom stalks of the coconut trees and fitting a joint of 

 bamboo over the cut ends. The Loriculi are inordinately fond of this 

 juice, and many of our specimens were shot from the 'bombons' (bamboo 

 tubes), as they drank it. They are by all odds the commonest cage birds 

 of the Islands, and are frequently carried by the natives from place to 

 place. The various native names 'colacici,' 'cucci,' 'culanci' are all at- 

 tempts to imitate the note. They have the peculiar undulating flight of 

 woodpeckers, and give their shrill whistle at frequent intervals when on 

 the wing. Usually very shy in the woods, but exceedingly bold in the 

 coconut groves. Almost never seen in flocks." {Bourns and Wor- 

 cester MS.) 



253. LORICULUS MINDORENSIS Steere. 



MINDORO COLASISI. 



Loriculus mindorensis Steere, List Birds & Mams. Steere Exped. (1890), 

 6; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1891), 20, 526; Sharpe, Hand- 

 List (1900). 2, 36; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 50. 



Co-la-si-si, Mindoro. 



Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, Everett, Whitehead, Bourns d Worcester, 

 McGregor, Porter) . 



