128 THE SPEAKING PAMROTS. 



Dr. Finscli has divided the Eclecti into, two groups — firstly, 

 the green or red species, without marks on the wings, with an 

 almost straight tail, and the skin of the nose covered with 

 feathers ; secondly, the yellowish-green species, with marked 

 wings, longer rounded tail, and unfeathered skin on the nose. 

 If this division be maintained, then on no account must the first 

 group be divided into two kinds — green and red ; for Dr. A. B. 

 Meyer, the well-known traveller, at present director of the 

 Natural History Museum, in Dresden, has lately made the 

 interesting discovery that two such variously-coloured birds 

 always form one species, of which the green is the male and 

 the red the female. The conclusion at which Dr. Meyer thus 

 arrived, that the numerous green Eclecti shot down by him 

 always proved upon examination to be male birds, and the red 

 ones to be females, was at first much disputed, and even 

 strenuously opposed ; nevertheless, it has been established as a 

 fact by the experiments in breeding made by Dr. Frenzel, of 

 Freiberg, as well as by information sent by Dr.. Finsch from 

 the place of their habitation. 



The Eclecti, especially the male of the New Guinea Eclectus, 

 must be reckoned amongst the best and longest-known cage 

 birds ; yet they are almost always imported singly and most of 

 them are very rare. Immediately after their arrival they appear 

 very weak, and need much care to keep them alive and to 

 acclimatise them ; but as soon as they have passed, after the 

 first few months, through the dangers of the changed circum- 

 stances, they become very healthy and hardy, and, with favourable 

 surroundings, live many years. To their extreme quietness in 

 the cage, of which I spoke before, is probably due the fact that 

 they are not special favourites, though their strikingly-beautiful 

 and brilliant plumage makes them of value as ornamental birds. 

 They do not nearly equal the Grey Parrot nor the Amazon in 

 intelligence, though they surpass the Pionin^e. We have many 

 examples of very tame and affectionate Eclecti, as well as of 

 individuals which have proved highly-talented speakers, though, 

 on the whole, as talkers, they can only take third, or, at the 

 best, secondary rank. 



Their management is somewhat dijQScult, for on their voyage 

 to this country they are accustomed, as a rule, only to soaked 

 rice, bananas, and other soft fruit ; but it is well to accustom 

 them as soon as possible, but, of course, very gradually, in the 

 manner described on page 29, to canary seed, oats, some hemp. 



