THE LORIES AND LORIKEETS. 169 



CHAP. LXIIL— THE BLACK-BONNET LOEY. 



PsittacuB atricapillus, Wgl. 



Blach-honnet Lory, Blue-headed Lory, Purple- capijed Lory 

 (Ger., ViolettMppiger T^ori, Schwarzkopjiger Lori, Schwarz- 

 happenlori, Schwarzstirniger Frauenlori, Erzlori, Schwarz- 

 kdppiger BreitscJavanzlori ; Fr., Perruche Lori a calotte 

 noir, Lori d collier ; Dut., Purperzwartkop Loeri) — Dis- 

 tinguishing Marks — Domestic Qualities. 



This parrot is peculiarly beautiful, and ranks high among the 

 bristled-tongued species, for it is one of the most talented and 

 longest known. It was described by Seba as early as 1734, and 

 drawn first by Edwards and then by Brisson ; but Wagler, 

 in 1832, was the first to give it the proper scientific name. 



It is deep black on the forehead and crown of the head ; on 

 the back of the head there is a scarcely noticeable tuft of 

 longer violet-black feathers ; the lores, sides of the head, 

 throat, and neck are dark carmine ; the shoulders, back, upper 

 coverts of the wings, and tail, a lighter blood-red ; the wings a 

 dark grass-green ; shoulders a yellowish-brown ; quills green, 

 inner web yellow, the points black ; the reverse side of the 

 wing blackish -grey, with broad, yellow, transverse stripes ; 

 the bend and the small under coverts of the wings dark- 

 blue ; tail carmine-red, and broad purplish-brown bordered 

 at the tip ; the tail, on the reverse side, somewhat lighter ; all 

 the under part of the body a pale carmine ; a bright-yellow 

 spot on the breast ; the thigh blue ; the beak orange-red ; the 

 cere blackish ; the eyes brown, brownish-yellow, inclining to 

 yellowish-red, with a narrow light-yellow ring round the pupil ; 

 a featherless blackish circle round the eye ; the feet blackish- 

 grey ; claws black. (The spot on the breast is sometimes only 

 dappled red and yellow, and is often completely wanting, the 

 green wings are sometimes spotted with yellow, the hinder 

 part of the back is greenish-yellow, and other variations occur). 

 Size, about that of a jackdaw (length, lOfin. to llfin. ; wings, 

 ojin. to 6fin. ; tail, 3fin. to 4^in.). As far as we know at 

 present, it is indigenous only to Ceram and Amboyna. 



Although scarcely anything is known of its life in freedom, 

 yet we have detailed information as to its existence in captivity. 

 According to the account of Dr. E. von Martens, they are 

 brought from Ceram or Amboyna to Java, and then to Europe, 



