of the Mascarene Islands. 283 



A smaller species of Parrot — commonly known as Palceornis 

 eques — still survives in Mauritius, but its numbers are gra- 

 dually failing, though in the district of Grand Port, where 

 the monkeys have been thinned, it seems to be enjoying a 

 transient prosperity. It is shy, and frequents the forests 

 only, retiring before cultivation. It appears to feed exclu- 

 sively on the seeds and fruits of the indigenous trees, gene- 

 rally keeping to their upper branches*. When going from 

 one place to another it usually flies high, over the tree-tops 

 and out of gun-shot, uttering a short call-note, " kek,^' " kek,^' 

 repeated quickly four or five times, and something like that 

 of a Water-hen [Gallinula] . While feeding or sitting on the 

 tops of the tall trees it not unfrequently whistles melodiously. 



To the excellent diagnosis and description of this species 

 by Dr. Finsch (Papag. ii. pp. 35-40), from specimens in our 

 collection, little is to be added ; but, in consequence of Mr. 

 Hume's appeal (Stray Feathers, ii. p. 15), we may state that 

 the example described by the former as ^'Jiingeres ^ (oder ? )" 

 was one of the earliest we obtained, and was thus doubtfully 

 marked before it was submitted to his examination. We now 

 believe it to be an adult female, and may say that that sex 

 seems to differ from the adult male in having a black bill, a 

 very slight trace of the male's black gular ring, but none of his 

 red or blue collar, and that in general colour she is as intensely 

 green as he is. We have a young male which is hardly dis- 

 tinguishable from the female, except that the bill is blackish- 

 brown, while in another the red is beginning to show itself 

 at the base, though there is not a trace of the black ring. 

 Through the kindness of Mr. Caldwell we have two eggs of 

 this species, which were taken with the mother from the nest 

 in a hole of a tree. They measure 1*26 by 1'04 and 1*24 by 

 1'04 respectively, and are of the lack-lustre white usual among 

 the eggs of this Order of birds. 



* In only one instance did I ever see a " Catau " (as its name should 

 be spelt, not Carteau) in the low brushwood. Littre (Diet, de la Langue 

 Frangaise) says of this woi'd : — " Catau, Fille de fernie on d'auherge. 

 Fille malpropre et de mauvaise vie. Abr^viation populaire de Catherine." 

 — E. N. 



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