THE ECLECTI. 135 



It is grass-green ; the head a pure and vivid green ; the back 

 of the neck and the upper part of the back is rather a yellowish 

 olive-green ; the middle and hinder part of the back and the 

 rump marine blue, the upper coverts of the tail yellowish grass- 

 green. : the inner web of the quills blackish ; the outer web 

 green, finely edged with yellow ; the covert feathers the same ; 

 the smaller covert feathers at the bend of the wing and the 

 upper coverts of the shoulder are broadly edged with blue ; the 

 feathers of the tail are grass-green above, edged with yellow, on 

 the reverse side they are an olive-greenish yellow ; all the under 

 part of the body is olive-greenish yellow ; the mandible coral- 

 red or vermilion ; eyes a pale-yellow, inclining to brown ; the 

 feet a greyish-yellow ; claws blackish. The female is said to 

 be alike, and only to be distinguished by its darker eyes. 

 The young bird may be recognised by its white beak. The 

 special marks are : The vivid olive-green yellow colour on the 

 back of the neck, the fore part of the back, and the under part 

 of the 'body ; the blue on the hinder part of the back and rump, 

 and the small blue covert feathers below the wing ; the black 

 marks on the bend of the wing and the upper coverts of the 

 wing are wanting. 



It is a native of Celebes, the Sulu Islands, and Sangir Islands. 

 This species was exhibited in the Museum of Leyden, without 

 mention of its native place ; and in the year 1828 Dr. S. Miiller 

 procured one of them in the Island of Bouton, in the Strait of 

 Malacca, where, as was afterwards proved, it never lives in 

 freedom. In 1884 it was described and named by Temminck. 

 Up to the present two varieties have been distinguished — the 

 Eed-billed and the White-billed Mliller's Eclectus. From the 

 researches of Dr. Meyer, whose opinions are supported by Dr. 

 Platen, the white-billed birds are the young ones. Of its habits 

 in breeding nothing is known. It is said to build its nest in 

 hollows in steep, inaccessible cliffs. Those Mailer's Eclecti 

 which come into the market are, therefore, mostly old birds. 

 Dr. and Mrs. Platen brought over twenty head with them, but, 

 unfortunately, these parrots not presenting an attractive appear- 

 ance, received but little welcome from our breeders, and I never 

 learnt whether anyone at that time was induced by my recom- 

 mendation to make a trial of breeding ; no results have, however, 

 been obtained. It is occasionally kept as a cage bird. It then 

 sits lazily still throughout the day, and, therefore, does not 

 excite any great admiration in parrot lovers. We have no 



