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being the oldest inhabitant. This species, and one other 

 species, are found in Madagascar, the Praslin inhabits 

 the island from which it takes its name, and the 

 remaining two species come from the Comoro Islands. 

 The EcIvECTus Parrots {EcUctus) are among the 

 mo.st splendidly coloured of the short-tailed parrots, 

 and have excited great interest and controversy among 

 ornithologists with regard to the differences between 

 the various species and still more with regard to the 

 differences between the sexes of the same species. 

 These points have, however, been finally cleared up by 

 numerous dissections, and the facts regarding them may 

 be briefly summed up as follows : — There are six species 

 of Eclectus Parrots known to us at present. Each of 

 these species is characterised b}' the remarkable fact 

 that the prevailing colour of the male is bright green, 

 while that of the hen is a still more brilliant red. The 

 two species which are kept as cage birds are the Red- 

 sided Eclectus {E. pectoralis) and the Grand Eclectus 

 {E. 7'oratus). The males of the two species are almost 

 identical in appearance, being of a brilliant grass-green 

 colour, with a patch of scarlet on either side, immediately 

 beneath the wing. The females, however, differ con- 

 siderably from one another. In the female Red-sided 

 Eclectus, the head, neck, and upper breast are scarlet, 

 the lower breast and abdomen blue, and the under 

 surface of the tail scarlet. The female Grand Eclectus 

 has the head and upper breast red with a purplish tint, 

 the lower breast and abdomen purple, the under tail 

 coverts and a band at the tip of the tail bright 

 yellow. These parrots are rather dull in confinement, 

 and rarel}-, if ever, learn to talk. They require the same 

 treatment as the Amazons. They inhabit the Moluccas, 

 Tenimber Islands and the Papuan Islands. The so-called 

 MuUer's Eclectus, which is sometimes imported, has 

 been wrongly placed in this genus, from which it differs 

 notably in the similarity of the sexes. 

 (To be Contifiiied) . 



