174 TEE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



chair, or anytliing near me — in the latter case it remained quiet. 

 It was always excitable and violent, and any wlio approached it, 

 or ventured on liberties, it punished by pecking at. Its voice 

 had not the metallic sharpness of the other lories ; but by force 

 of ever repeating the same tone, it became, like them, unbear- 

 able. However, as soon as I took it out of the cage, it grew 

 quiet. What it esteemed as the greatest treat was sugar and 

 water, which it quickly lapped up with its long movable 

 tongue." 



Mr. Heer, of Striegau, described it in similar terms. *'My 

 Ceram Lory," he said, ''gives me much pleasure. It is exceed- 

 ingly lively, and chatters continually ; when it is silent it likes 

 to hang by the feet from the perch, so that its body swings 

 downwards. Although I often hold it unrestrained on my 

 finger at the open window, and, though it can fly well, it never 

 occurs to it to escape. I never before had so tame a bird. It 

 eats moistened Vienna roll with sugar, and is passionately fond 

 of sugar and water. It takes especial pleasure in creeping 

 between my coat and vest." 



Mr. Scheuba thinks that the incapacity of learning which 

 the Ceram Lory shows in comparison with the others is due 

 to the great attention which it pays to its surroundings ; it is 

 never silent, and is always screaming, though not very shrilly. 

 *' Mine is large, healthy, and rather impetuous. It does not do 

 much in the way of talking, for it only says the often-heard 

 word, * Wait, wait ' ; but this is probably caused by its having 

 made friends with a Black-bonnet Lory, so that the two heed 

 nothing else but one another, and converse continually in their 

 natural cries. If I put them together they show infinite affec- 

 tion towards each other, but I am obliged to put a speedy end 

 to the association, for the rough, violent Ceram so sets upon the 

 weaker Black-bonnet, that the latter is obliged to fly from its 

 overwhelming caresses. The former takes little pleasure in 

 human society. Casually I may here remark that it has 

 several times laid eggs in its cage." 



Mr. C, Linden informs us that a lory of this species in his 

 possession pipes prettily. 



