THE LORIES AND LORIKEETS. 177 



a blue band ; above and below the eye, reaching down to the 

 neck on either side, there is a dark blue stripe ; the neck and 

 shoulders are blue ; the hinder part of the back is dark carmine ; 

 the rump and upper coverts of the tail, purple brownish red ; the 

 quills red with black tips, a dull red on the reverse side ; 

 across the wing there is a black transverse band ; the larger 

 upper coverts of the wing, red, with a broad black edge ; the 

 coverts on the shoulder, purplish black ; the edge and the lower 

 coverts of the wing, red ; the tail a dark reddish brown, the 

 inner webs scarlet ; all the lower part of the body carmine ; the 

 lower part of the breast and the belly striped transversely with 

 dark blue; the thigh, blue, with red transverse stripes; the 

 under coverts of the tail red, with blue spots ; the beak a dull 

 waxy yellow ; the cere, bluish; eyes, reddish amber; featherless 

 skin round them, blackish ; feet, a bluish ashen grey ; claws, 

 black ; size, nearly as large as the Black-bonnet Lory (length, 

 lO^in. to 10|in. ; wings, Gin. to G^in. ; tail, 4|in. to 4|in.). It 

 is a native of the Sangir Islands. This lory was described and 

 named by Latham in 1790 ; older writers make no mention of it. 



Mr. A. B. Meyer informs us that he has found them occa- 

 sionally in the Island of Celebes, and that they are brought by 

 the native dealers to Manado for sale ; and it frequently 

 happens that they are then lost. In all the islands thereabout 

 a lively trade is carried on in simple objects of art and natural 

 curiosities — such as baskets, &;c. — and among these the lories 

 form an important item, because they are generally held in great 

 favour as household pets. " A Blue-breasted Lory which I had," 

 Dr. Meyer says, " was tame and affectionate towards my wife, 

 but ill-tempered to me. It learnt, like all the lories, to speak just 

 as clearly as other parrots, but not so easily and well as the 

 cockatoos and eclecti ; it prefers screaming and screeching 

 instead of repeating the words and sentences which it knows. 

 Most lories die on the journey, and therefore one sees them 

 but seldom in Europe." 



Mr. Scheuba adds the following particulars concerning a Blue- 

 breasted Lory of his : " It is the quietest and most silent of all, 

 and only utters its cry in the evening, and then it is not nearly 

 as sharp and shrill as that of the others, but is rather a 

 twittering or chattering ; only when frightened does it utter 

 screaming sounds. It is extremely easily frightened, and then 

 very difficult to soothe. Otherwise, it is a very nice bird, 

 showing great affection ; and it is assuredly one of the most 



