THE LORIES AND LORIKEETS. 171 



CHAP. LXIV.— THE LADY LOEY. 



Psittacus lori, L. 



Blue-tailed Lory (Ger., Frauenlori, Rothnaclcenlori^ Blauschil- 

 teriger Breitschwanzlori ; Fr., Perruche Lori des Dames, ou 

 Lori a scajmlaire bleue ; Dut., Blauivstaart Loeri) — De- 

 scription. 



Not unnaturally most of tlie birds, and particularly the parrots, 

 whicli enlisted tlie affection of mankind in olden times continue 

 to be clierislied in the present day. This is above all the case 

 ■with the Lady Lory. Described by Edwards in 1751, named by 

 Linne in 1761, and treated by various authors, from Seba and 

 Buffon to Bechstein, it has been lauded by all as being at once 

 very beautiful, extremely affectionate and highly gifted. In 

 this opinion parrot connoisseurs and keepers still agree, and, 

 though not classing it higher than its congeners, they yet rank 

 it at least on a level with them, especially with the Black- 

 honnet Lory. It also, in many respects, resembles this latter 

 species. 



It is of a deep black on the top and back of the head ; the 

 lores, sides of the head, band round the neck and throat, 

 carmine ; the back of the neck and the shoulders deep blue, 

 with a purplish tinge ; the middle of the back, the rump, and 

 the upper coverts of the tail, scarlet ; the upper part of the 

 back has a bluish-black transverse band ; the quills are dark 

 grass-green on the outer side, and of a deep yellow on the 

 inner, the tips black, the reverse side blackish-grey, with a 

 yellow transverse band ; the upper coverts are green, and the 

 lesser coverts on the bend of the wing bluish ; the small coverts 

 underneath and the feathers on the shoulders are scarlet ; the 

 basal half of the tail feathers is scarlet, the end half deep blue ; 

 the reverse side is red at the base and dull olive-yellow at the 

 tip ; the throat, breast, and belly, deep blue, with a violet tinge ; 

 the sides of the breast and belly are scarlet ; round the thigh, 

 the hinder part of the body and the under coverts of the tail, 

 light-blue ; beak orange, inclining to carmine ; the cere dull 

 yellow ; eyes brown to yellowish-red, featherless skin round 

 them brownish-yellow ; feet and claws black. Nearly as large 

 as the Black-bonnet Lory (length, 10:Tin. to llin. ; wings, 5|-in. 

 to 6^in. ; tail, o^in. to 4in.). There are varieties in colour, in 

 •which the blue mark on the upper part of the breast and throat 



