:-!8 ()r<]n- J't'iltaci inr,H>,. l'\u,i;ii/ L,irii<lar, (imii^ Trir/iu'ihs^u,. 



Order F^sittaciforiiies, Family Loriidae, Genus 

 Triclioglossus. 



y'/•/r/;of//o.s■.^•/^^• iioriK lioJIaiididc i liliu' brllitMl Lorikeet or 

 IlhuMiionntain i. 



Description -Head, clieeli^s and throat, deep blue; the 

 centre of the feathers beinj; lighter, giving the appearance of a 

 strijie; at the base of the head a nairow band of greenish yel- 

 low; the up[)er surface gi'een, with many feathers at the base 

 of the neck marked with yellow and scarlet; tail basal half of 

 the feathers, dark green shading into blue on the tips, under 

 side of feathers greenish yelloAv; marked on the inner webs 

 with yellow; the outer webs of the wing feathers dark green, 

 inner webs dark brown to black, with a large spot of orange 

 on eadi feather. riiest, rich scarlet, shading into rich orange 

 on the sides. Abdomen, deep blue; the feathers on the sides 

 scarlel. ti}t[)ed with (lce[) blue; inside the shoulders, biiiiht 

 l3lood red; under-tail coverts, yellow, tipped with green; bill, 

 coral red, tipped with yelloAv; iris, orange, shading to red; feet, 

 ashy grey. 



Measurements — Total length, ;}28 m.m. ; wing from body to 

 tip, 192 m.m.; spread, 426 m.m.: bill, IG m.m.; tarsus, 18 m.m. 



Distribution -Southern Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Mctoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, including Kangaroo 

 Island. 



Habits— Noisy and gregarious, having a shrill loud call, 

 and when many birds are feeding in the same tree it is difficult 

 to hear oneself speak. They congregate in great flocks at 

 times while at others they are to be met with in twos and 

 threes. They shift about according to food supply, and are to 

 be met with in the big timber country as well as the low mallee. 

 They are confined to the coastal belt as a rule, and they have 

 not been met with in the interior. They are undoubtedly the 

 most gorgeous of our South Australian parrots, and when a 

 number are feeding close together in the bright sunlight they 

 I>resent a wonderful sight in their rainbow colourations. 



Nest — The eggs are laid in the dry dust at the bottom of a 

 hollow spout of a gum tree. Usual ly the biggest tree in the 

 ■ neighbourhood is selected. Though they can hardly be said to 

 nest in colonies it is usual to tinil several i)airs nesting in tlie 

 same vicinity, often in the same tree if it have enoagh suitable 

 hollows. The nesting season is from August to December, 

 varving aicordinc: to locality. 



