262 



PSITTACID^. 



Andaman Islands, but has not been observed in the Nicobars. It 

 is replaced by the next species in Ceylon. 



Habits, ^c. In some parts of the Western Ghats this is said to 

 be a cold-weather visitant, above the Ghats it is only found in 

 the rains ; it probably, like other Parrots, shifts its quarters witli 

 the seasons, but to no great distance. It is swift of flight, and 

 utters a screaming call when flying. It is found chiefly in 

 clearings amongst forest, in gardens, and especially in groves of 

 fruit-trees. It feeds on fruit of various kinds and on flower-buds, 

 and is said to be particularly fond of cocoanut-palm juice — so 

 much so as often to be captured in a stupified state after indulging 

 in the intoxicating liquid. In the case of the allied L. indicus the 

 juice of the wild palm Caryota urens is said by Legge to intoxicate 

 the birds. 



This Loriquet is often caged, and, like other species of the genus, 

 becomes very tame, and has the habit of sleeping with its head 

 downwards, hanging from its perch. It breeds from March to 

 May, in Tenasserim in February, and lays 3 to 5 eggs in a hole 

 or hollow in a tree without any nest. The eggs are white and 

 measure about -74 by '6. 



1151. Loriculus indicus. The Ceylonese Loriquet. 



Psittacus indicus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. \, p. 349 (1788). 



Psittacus asiaticus, Lath. Ind. Orn. \, p. 130 (1790). 



Psittacula coulaci, pt., Less, Traite. p. 202 (1831). 



Loriculus phiUipensis, Blyth, Cat. p. 10 ; 7iec Psittacus phillipensis, 



Miill. 

 Loriculus asiaticus, Blyth, Cat. p. 812 ; id. J. A. 8. B. xviii, p. 801 ; 



xix, p. 236 ; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) xiii, p. 261 ; Horsf. 8; M. 



Cat. ii, p. 628 ; Walde7i, Ibis, 1867, p. 468. 

 Loriculus coulaci, Blyth, Ibis, 1863, p. 7 ; 1866, p. 226. 

 Loriculus edwardsi, Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 295. 

 Loriculus indicus, Holdsworth, P. Z. &'. 1872, p. 426 ; Hume, S. F. 



vii, p. 368 ; id. Cat. no. 153 bis ; Leyye, Birds Ceyl. p. 180, pi. vi j 



Salvadori, Cat. B. M. xx, p. 526. 



Gira-malitchia, Pol-yirawa, Cing. 



Coloration. Precisely similar to that of L. vernalis, except that 

 the crown is deep red like the uropygium ; this red passes into 

 orange on the nape, and the hind-neck and interscapulary region 

 are tinged with orange-yellow. Sexes alike. In the young the 

 colours are duller and the head is green above. 



Bill light orange-red ; cere yellow ; iris white ; legs and feet 

 dusky yellow {Legge). 



Length about 5*5 ; tail 1-75 ; wing 3-7 ; tarsus '45 ; bill from. 

 cere 'b. 



Distribution. Ceylon, generally distributed, up to about 3500- 

 feet, but much less common in the north part of the island. 



Habits, Sfc. Precisely similar to those of the last species. Nidi- 

 fication not recorded. 



