THE ECLECTI. 131 



tlie Linnean Eclectus, lias always, till of late, been accounted a 

 rarity. "When once acclimatised they are both very hardy, and 

 live well in this country in the open air. Some are exceedingly 

 vicious in the cage ; but, in spite of this, often exhibit the 

 peculiarity of allowing themselves to be taken out, and almost 

 immediately become perfectly tame. Of course, it requires con- 

 siderable courage to seize a large parrot with such a powerful 

 beak, without hesitation, by the feet ; but when done, it appears 

 to make such an impression on it that it at once ceases to 

 resist. 



Dr. Bodinus tells us of a green Eclectus which spoke excel- 

 lently, and Mr. Scheuba, head master of the Upper Grammar 

 School in Olmtitz, also considers these birds uncommonly 

 teachable. I can assert of the female that it is tame and 

 affectionate, and learns to speak a few words well. Kept as 

 talkers, neither is a bad screamer ; as breeding birds, on the 

 contrary, especially in the early morning, they make considerable 

 noise ; in such case, also, the females are excessively vicious and 

 bad-tempered. 



CHAP. XL.— THE GILOLO, OR HALMAHERA 

 ECLECTUS OR PARROT. 



Psittacus grandis, Ess.; P. polychlorus, Scpl. as male, P. grandis, Gml. 

 as female. 



Male bird known by the same English, German, French, and 

 Dutch names as the preceding species — The female, the Grand 

 Eclectus (Ger., Grosser rother Edelpapagei, Rothedelpapagei, 

 and, by the dealers, Grandilori ; Fr., Grand Perroquet rouge, 

 Grand Eclectus rouge ; Dut., Groote roode Edelpapegaai) — 

 Gilolo Eclectus or Parrot (Fr., Perroquet de Halmahera 

 Dut., Halmahera Edelpapegaai) — Description. 



Strangely enough, the male bird of this species appears exactly 

 the same as the preceding species, so that they cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from each other by any certain mark. I, therefore, 

 need not further describe the male of the Gilolo Eclectus. 



The female bird is scarlet on the head and neck ; the 

 transverse band on the back is ultramarine, with a purple 



K 2 



