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^^^^- Correspondence. 



THE PURPLE-CAPPED LORY AND OTHER BIRDS. 



Sir, — I have never seen in yonr pa^es an\' remarks on the 

 " Purple-capped Lory," and as I lately purchased one in 

 Bombay Market I am much interested in this bird. I find him 

 (or her — I do not know the sex) a most interesting, amusing, 

 and amiable bird. He has not yet actualh' spoken any words, 

 though he copies all manner of sounds and seems to hold long 

 conversations in a deep bass tone — which may, for all I know, 

 be Hidoostanee or some other foreign language. I only got 

 him in March last. I carried him across India via Poona, 

 Madras, Tutacorin, to Colombo, and he proved a most cheerful 

 companion in my travels. He generally amused my fellow 

 travellers very much, and all, particularly ladies, made great 

 friends with him, as he was so friendly and amiable. 



He is a very beautiful bird with his brilliant scarlet breast 

 and body, green wings, purple-capped head, and bluestockings. 

 He whistles very sweetly, and if I had a sufficiently good ear 

 to teach him I have no doubt he could be taught any tune. His 

 wings were cropped when I got him from a native in the 

 market, and have not yet grown, but he is allowed to roam about 

 the breakfast room as he likes, and does no harm to furniture, 

 his beak not being adapted for cutting like that of most other 

 Parrots. He is of the brush-tongued kind and laps water like a 

 cat. The tongue is curiously hairy, and is, I think, meant for 

 extracting honey from flowers, of which he is very fond. His 

 mode of progression is by hopping like a Magpie, in that way 

 differing from all other Parrots that I know. I think it will be 

 possible to allow him liberty to Ry about when his wings grow. 



There was a Colonel of a regiment at Poona who told me 

 that he had one of the same kind at Singapore which he 

 never could tame, so that eventually he gave it up as a 

 hopeless case and enlarged it there, when to his amazement he 



