131) 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



and feet black; irides rich brown. Female with longer 

 beak, more slender towards tip, and with narrower 

 terminal hook; head duller in colouring. Hab., Tenim- 

 ber Islands. Introduced into Dammer and Tocal 

 Islands (Ktihn). I have not discovered any notes 

 respecting the wild life of this Lory. Specime'ns were 

 purchased for the London Zoological Gardens in 1862 

 and 1874. According to Russ it is very rarely imported, 

 but nevertheless Dr. Paten brought home sixteen 

 e.xamples. It is said to have a sharply metallic voice 

 according to Scheuda; does not scream, 'but has a pleas- 

 ing whistled note, is lively and enduring, according to 

 Dr. Frenzel. 



BLUE-T.4ILED LORY (EoS lustlio). 



Red ; the scapulars, tips of upper wing-coverts and 

 flights black, with the exception of the base of the inner 

 webs of the later ; the interscapular region blue ; tail 

 above purple, with the exception of the^inner webs of 

 the lateral feathers; vertex, ear-coverts, nape, and 

 breast blue ; flanks and vent purplish-blue ; under tail- 

 coverts red, tipped with blue; beak orange-red; feet 

 blackish ; irides amber-red. Female with stouter beak, 

 but with a longer terminal hook to upper mandible. 

 Hab., " Sanghir and Talaut Islands" (Salvadori). 



Hickson, in his " Naturalist in North Celebes," p. 

 155, says that "at Salibabu, one of the Talaut Islands, 

 the brilliant little red and blue Lory [Eox inclica*] was 

 found to be abundant, and numerous living specimens 

 were obtained from the natives " (cf. T/ie Ibis 1890 

 p. 249). 



According to Dr. Meyer, who obtained a specimen of 

 this bird from a friend, these birds "are never dull 

 md sulky, like the Cockatoos, but livelv, active, charm- 

 ing and lovable "; " they learn to speak, but never as 

 well as the Cockatoos and Eclecti." Mr. Stheuba, on 

 the other hand, considered them dull, silent, nervous, 

 and easily frightened. (cf. Greene, " Parrots in 

 Captivity," Vol. III., p. 54). 



The London Zoological Society purchased two speci- 

 mens in 1871, and one in 1872, but they did not long 

 survive. According to Russ, who adopted the trivial 

 name "Blue-breasted Lory," first used also in the Zoo- 

 logical Society's earlier lists, says that it was known 

 long ago, but is rare in the market ; its price is high, 

 l)ut not fixed ! An unnecessary remark. Wause every- 

 one IS aware that the price of all birds depen<Js upon 

 the number in the market. 



Red Loky {Eos ruhra). 



Its prevailing colour is bright scarlet, but the outer 

 webs of the first four flights are black, the remainder 

 with black tips, and the last three or four black witi- 

 bluish tips, the longest scapulars and a band from the 

 thighs to the under tail-coverts, as well as these coverts 

 themselves, blue ; the tail below orange-vermilion the 

 bases of the inner webs of the feathers bright red ; beak 

 red, the cere blackish-grey, feet blackish-grey, the claws 

 black ; eyes varying from brown to orange, the naked 

 skin blackish. Female with the beak narrower at the 

 base and the culmen less arched. 



In young birds the feathers of the under-surface are 

 edged more or less prominently with blue, and the 

 under tail-co verts are red ringed with purple. Hab., 

 Southern Moluccas. 



I have been unable to get together any notes upon the 

 wild life of this species. Doubtless it resembles other 

 Lories m being gregarious, feeding upon soft fruit, and 

 buds, nectar of flowers, and insects. For a caee-bird 

 Dr. Russ gives it an exceUent character. He says that 



♦ A synonym of S. hiatrio. 



as a talker it is gifted, picking up new words and even 

 sentences with ease : that it is playful, confiding, tame 

 and lovable. According to the Hon. Walter Rothschild", 

 tlie tail and scapulars of specimens kept in captivity 

 are sometimes distinctly greenish, (cf. The Ibis, 1900, 

 p. 191). 



This species was first exhibited in the London Zoo- 

 logical Society's Gai-dens in 1874, since which time 

 several other examples have been acquired for the 

 Regent's Park collection. Russ speaks of it as very 

 rare, but says that Dr. Platen brought home seven 

 specimens. 



ViOLEi-SECKED LoRT (Eos riciniata). 



Red ; longest scapularies and some of the inner flights 

 dull purple ; primaries black, red at base of inner webs ; 

 secondaries mostly red, tipped with black; tail above 

 duU puri)lish-red ; back of head, nape, a collar round 

 neck, abdomen and under tail-coverts purple ; tail 

 below red at base of inner webs, yellowish-red with 

 golden reflections towaixls tips ; beak orange-red ; feet 

 blackish-grey; irides dark or reddish-brown; orbital 

 naked region yellowish-grey. Female with the base of 

 the beak narrower and the culmen less arched. Hab., 

 Halmaheira group of islands. 



Dr. Guillemard (" Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society," 1885. p. 564) describes the soft parts as 

 follows: "Iris yellow; bill dull red, yellow at tip; 

 tarsus dull grey." 



Russ says that this is one of the very rarest in the 

 market ; vet Jlr. Frank Finn, in a naper on the cage- 

 birds of Calcutta {The Ibis, 1901, p". 439) says : "Eos 

 riciniata is, perhaps, the most abundant." There 

 seems, therefore, no reason why it should be especially 

 rare in the European market." It was first purchased 

 for the London Zoological Gardens in 1873, and others 

 have been added to the same collection in later years. 



■Whitish-humped Lory {Eos f'uscata). 



Dull brown ; feathers of hind-neck and interscapular 

 region, as well as those of the lower throat edged with 

 reddish, greyish, or olive ; primary coverts and anterior 

 greater coverts tinged with purple ; innermost greater 

 coverts and inner secondaries tinged with chestnut; 

 primaries slightly tinged with olive on outer edges, their 

 inner webs red at base ; lower back and rump yellowish- 

 white ; tail above greyish-purple, the central feathers 

 reddish towards the base ; vertex of head and' a band 

 on the nape reddish-orange ; a band across the throat, 

 another across the breast, the middle of the abdomen 

 and the tibiae, red; tail below red at base of inner 

 webs, reddish-olive towards tips ; beak red, or orange- 

 jellow ; cere reddish-black ; feet black ; irides yeUow 

 to cannine-red ; naked orbital sldn black. According 

 to Russ the female diflfers in having all the red portions 

 replaced by orange or clear yellow ; but, according to 

 Salvadori, this is a character which distinguishes the 

 young bird. Hab., "New Guinea, Jobi, Salwatty." 

 (Salvadori.) 



Dr. Guillemard describes a male obtained at Andai 

 as having, " Iris, inner ring orange, outer white ; bill 

 orange ; tarsu.<i black ; pectoral bands and abdomen 

 red " (" Proceedings of the Zoological Society," 1885, p. 



Russ merely says of this species. " Extremely rare " ; 

 he does not say (in his " Handbook ") when or "by whom 

 it was imported, but leaves it to be inferred tha"t it has 

 been, and for that reason alone I include it. 



LoTJisiADE Lory {Lorins hypcenochrous). 

 Red ; interscapular region crossed by a deep purplish- 

 red band ; wings green, flights yellow at base of inner 



