Birds of the Fiji Islands. 141 



cotton-buds. It utters a shrill note, and is a restless, active, 

 prying little bird, ever on the move, examining flowers, leaves, 

 and branches, and everywhere gleaning an abundant harvest. 



Trichoglissus aureicinctus, Layard, Ann. & Mag. N. H. 

 1875, xvi. p. 344. 



In April last my son reported the existence of a small Par- 

 rot, in size about that of the Shell Parrakeet of Australia, 

 green, with a red neck and throat, flying in considerable 

 numbers in company (but not mingling) with the " Kulu " 

 {Lorius solitarius, Lath.) . As he did not find the tree on which 

 they were then feeding, he did not succeed in securing a spe- 

 cimen. In June or July subsequently, two gentlemen and 

 my late servant Eearce, collecting in Viti Levu, obtained it. 



Our bird is known to the natives of Fiji under the name 

 of " Kula-wai,^' and to the Laconi boys by that of '^ Vuni-as.'^ 

 It frequents a tree in the forests of Taviuni bearing a 

 white flower with filamentous pistils, not unlike that of the 

 " Jambo " of India [Eugenia jambos) . It was often seen in 

 parties of six or eight, and never less than a pair together, 

 creeping about the branches and bunches of flowers with great 

 rapidity, hanging head downwards, or in any position so that 

 it could bite away portions of the flower to get at its favourite 

 morsel, or chasing the noisy Ptilotis carunculata that at- 

 tempted to share with it the flowery sweets. 



The female differs very slightly, if at all, from the male \ 

 but the young birds, instead of wearing the gorgeous red 

 breeches of the adults, have dull purple thighs, and the deep 

 pink of the throat and other tints are less vivid. 



Platycercus taviunensis, sp. nov. 



On ofiicially visiting Taviuni in the early part of 1874, a 

 , Parrot was obtained alive by some of the men of H.M.S. 

 'Pearl,' which I at once saw presented some marked differences 

 from the birds I had previously seen from Viti Levu. I 

 therefore directed my son to procure, if possible, specimens 

 for comparison. Unfortunately, the wet weather which pre- 

 vailed during his April trip prevented his obtaining more 

 than a single female. This bird, however, convinced me 



