2()4 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



obtained were in immature plumage. They were feeding on the 

 ground on cow-dung, on the dry bed of the Irrawaddy. Blyth 

 observed this species and P. rosa exceedingly numerous in upper 

 Martaban. 



Other species of Palaornis from the East are P. Calthrapa, 

 Layard, from Ceylon ; P. caniceps, Blyth, from the Nicobars and 

 Penang ; P. erytlirogenys, Blyth, from the Andamans and Nico- 

 bars ; and P. lonrjicauda from Sumatra and the Malayan peninsula, 

 the young of which is P. modestus of Fraser, and P. viridimystax 

 of Blyth. 



Sub-fam. LoRTiN^, Lories. 



Bill compressed, small or moderate, slightly curved ; the margin 

 of the upper mandible sometimes sinuated, and tlie notch obsolete ; 

 the lower mandible slender, conic, much longer than high. 



The tongue in most is furnished with a protrusile tuft of elongated 

 papillae, enabling them to draw the nectar from flowers, which, 

 with soft fruits, constitutes their sole food ; they appear to have 

 a delicate sense of taste. They are restricted to the Australian 

 reo"ion and neighbouring isles, one aberrant genus, in which the 

 tono-ue is not tufted, extending to India. 



Gen. LoRicuLus, Blyth. 



Char. — Bill rather small, gently curving from the base; the 

 upper mandible lengthiened, slightly sinuated at the margin, moder- 

 ately hooked, and tapering to a fine point ; lower mandible small ; 

 wings nearly as long as the tail ; 1st and 2nd quills longest ; tail 

 short, even, or barely rounded. 



These are birds of small size, Avith a short tail, found in India 

 and Malayana. Their colour is green, with the lower back red, 

 and some distinctive marks about the head. They have usually 

 been classed with the Lories, though they have not the suctorial 

 tongue of those birds. Blyth now classes them with Eclectus, 

 as a subordinate division of the Psittacine group. In comparing 

 them, however, with Eclectus, I find a considerable difference of 

 structure in the bill, which is more compressed, much more 



