130 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



dark-blue ; tlie edge and bend of tlie wing and the smaller 

 covert feathers along the fore part of the wing are light-blue ; 

 tlie shoulders, the inner coverts of the wing, and the spot on the 

 sjdes of the breast, scarlet ; the outer tail feathers, on both sides, 

 dark-blue ; the reverse side of all the quills and tail feathers 

 is a dull black, the tail feathers being a pale-yellow at the tip ; 

 the upper mandible coral-red, the point pale waxy -yellow ; 

 lower mandible black ; the eyes are blackish-brown, with a very 

 narrow grey-brown circle, inclining to orange colour ; the feet 

 leaden-grey, with black scales and claws. Size, about that of a 

 raven (length, 14g^in. to 15|in. ; wings, lOin. to lOMn. ; tail, 

 4jin. to 5^in.). 



The female is light-scarlet on the head, neck, and breast ; 

 round the eye is a narrow blue ring ; a broad transverse 

 band of ultramarine-blue runs across the upper part of the 

 back ; the primaries are of a dark indigo-blue ; the inner web 

 a dull black ; the large covert feathers are dark-red ; the 

 under edge of the wing and the small inferior coverts are dark- 

 blue ; the upper side of the tail has a broad bright-red tip ; on 

 the reverse side it is blackish, and the end a faded red ; all the 

 upper part of the body is dark-scarlet ; the sides of the breast 

 and the belly are a brilliant dark-blue ; the lower tail coverts 

 are light-red, finely edged with yellow ; the beak is black ; the 

 eyes blackish-brown, with a pearly-white circle round the iris ; 

 the feet are grey, with black scales and claws. Size, scarce 

 noticeably smaller than the male (length, 14|-in. to loin. ; 

 wings, O^in. to 9Jin. ; tail, 4iin.). 



The male of this species is distinguished from the Gilolo 

 Eclectus by its lighter green colour and the small marks in the 

 tail ; the female by the circle of beautiful blue feathers round 

 the eye. 



They are natives of the New Guinea group of islands. I 

 cannot give much information concerning their habits in freedom. 

 The natives are said to take them in large numbers from the 

 nests, as is the case with other parrots. The male was described 

 by Scopoli in 1738, and well depicted by Edwards; the female 

 was mentioned by Midler in 1776, but first described by Wagler 

 in 1832. The old writers made many errors concerning these 

 birds ; thus, for example, the green male bird was said to be a 

 native of China. Since the time of Edwards, 1754, they have 

 been brought over alive singly. The male has long been one of 

 the ordinary objects of the bird-market, whereas the female, as 



