Parrots of the Genus Eclectus. 475 



Mr. Forbes gives the diagnostic table published by me in 

 1875 (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 757) of the three better- 

 known species, E. polychlorus, E. grandis, and E. cardinalis. 

 He mentions that, accidentally, I have transposed in the table 

 two names, as he has ascertained from a corrected copy of my 

 paper that I had forwarded to Mr. Sclater. It seems that 

 Mr. Forbes has not observed that the correction has been 

 also properly made in the errata at the end of the volume 

 in which my paper is contained ; anyhow, it appears to me 

 that, knowing my accidental mistake, he should have given 

 my table in the right way, which is as follows : — 



1 Virides : lateribus rubro-puniceis. (Mares.) 



a. Majores. 



a'. Viridis, colore obscuriore, caiida minus cserulea . . 1. polychlorus. 



b'. Viridis, colore Isetiore, cauda magis cserulea .... 2. grandis. 



b. Minor, cauda vix cferulea 3. cardinalis. 



2. Rubrae : fascia interscapulari et abdomine cyaneis, vel 



violaceis. (Feminse.) 



a. Annulo perioculari cyaneo 1. polychlorus. 



b. Annulo perioculari cyaneo mdlo. 



a'. Subcaudalibus pure flavis 2. grandis. 



b'. Subcaudalibus auroreis, vel rubro-flavis 3. cardinalis*. 



In the conclusion of his paper Mr. Forbes attempts to give 

 the sexual differences and the geographical distribution of 

 the different species. But, according to my views, he is 

 wrong on both points. 



As regards the differences, leaving aside for the present E. 

 westermanni and E. cornelia, it seems that Mr. Forbes has 

 been misled by not having attended to the correction in my 

 table. So of E. grandis he says " cauda vix cserulea,^" which 

 characteristic belongs to E. cardinalis ; and of this he says 

 '^ cauda magis cserulea,^^ instead of " cauda vix caerulea.^^ 



Not less important is the mistake as regards the geogra- 

 phical distribution. Mr. Forbes says that E. polychlorus 

 " Habitat in insulis Papuanis et Moluccanis," while in fact 

 it is only to be found in the Papuan Islands. The three 

 species E. polychlorus, E. grandis, and E. cardinalis are 

 representative forms which inhabit each a peculiar area : 



* I have altered the order of the females to match that of the males. 



