194 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



nbtained at Calcutta. In his " Three Voyages of a 

 Naturalist," pp. 95, 96, Mr. M. J. Nicoll says: — "As 

 ive enteied the cultivation at the bottom of the valley, 

 a large dark-coloured bird flew overhead, uttering a 

 loud, but most musical, whistle. This proved to be 

 one of the Madagascar " black " Parrots — Coracop^is 

 rasa. We were much surprised at the extremely rapid 

 flight of this bird, as it dashed over us with outstretched 

 neck into the forest. The following day we had a good 

 view of a pair of these Parrots sitting in the top of a 

 tree close to the camp, aiud we also became acquainted 

 with a .smaller species — C. nigra. These Parrots are. 

 we were informed, quite common in every strip of 

 forest in the neighbourhood of the Camp d'Ambre." 



This species nests in holes of lofty, vigorous trees in 

 primitive forest or in almost inaccessible rocks ; 

 apparently it produces two broods in the year, each 

 consisting of two young ones; the female incubates, 

 the male meanwhile uttering throughout the day, and 

 even in the evening if the moon is shining, a long- 

 drawn whistled not^. varied wiUi softer flute-like .sounds 

 (cf.. Russ. " Handbuch fiir A^ogelliebhaber," p. 247). 



Although not attractive in appearance, this bird is 

 amiable, hardy, not especially noisy or destructive, and 

 is long lived : that it is capaWe of being taught to 

 talk and whistle we have already seen, though the late 

 Dr. Greene seems to have been a trifle sceptical regard- 

 ing its talents. Buss gives its price as from 30-45 marks 

 per specimen. 



Tile London Zoological Society seems to have acquired 

 specimens at rather long intervale, their first example 

 having been presented in 1830, their second in 1866. a 

 third in 1882, and a fourth in 1888. 



Lesser Vas.i P.^erot (Coracopsis nigra). 



Smaller than the preceding species, and with the 

 naked orbital skin rose-colour ; beak black after the 

 moidt, whiti.sh later; feet blackish;' jrides brown. 

 Female smaller than male, apparently with shorter and 

 slightly weaker beak. Hab., Madagascar. 



I have found no additional field-notes dealing with 

 this .<ipecies. Russ says it is " even quieter than the 

 preceding, as well as ill-tempered and unteachable. 

 Screeches continuously in an irnpleasant manner, with 

 melodious whistling for variety. I could not discover 

 a capacity for speech. In the trade, like the preceding, 

 it is offered singly. Price 15-20 marks." It first 

 reached the London Zoological Gardens in 1857, then 

 m 1872 three were received, and others have come since 

 that date. 



Praslin Paerot {Coracopsis barkhfi). 



Pale brown ; primaries greyish on outer webs : crown 

 with ill-defined paler spots; beak horn-brownish, paler 

 at tips ; feet black ; irides dark brown. Female smaller 

 than male, with a smaller, weaker beak. Hab., Praslin 

 Seychelles Islands. 



This Parrot was received by the London Zoological 

 Society m 1867, and described by Mr. E. Newton, a 

 coloured illustration being published in the " Proceed- 

 ings of the Zoological Society" (Plate XXII.). In 

 1871 a second example was received in exchange: in 

 1874 a third was presented and two others deposited. 

 Ihe last recorded, in the ninth edition of the " List 

 of Animals," was deposited in 1888 



In The Jbi^ for 1906, p. 709, Mr. M. J. Nicoll 

 writing on the Birds collected and observed durinn- the 

 Voyage of the "Valhalla," says: "I saw onlv' one 

 example of this Parrot, an imm.ature female, wliirh I 

 obtained. It was feeding in a. Magnolia, the onlv tree 



of its kind on the island. These birds are strictly pre- 

 served by M. Edouard BouUe, the owner of the estate 

 on Praslin where they are found. Formerly they 

 were killed in numbers by the natives for food. M. 

 Boulle told me that he has recently seen about one 

 hundred individuals together. The note of this Parrot 

 is a very musical whistle, somewhat resembling that of 

 V. vasa of Madagascar." 



Russ says that, in addition to the specimens in the 

 London Zoological Gardens, it was offered for sale in 

 1881 by Anton Jamrach. If it continues to be strictly 

 preserved it is not very likely to be offered again. 



This species concludes the imported Psittacirice. We 

 now pass on from these sombrely-coloured birds to the 

 brilliantly-coloured Noble-parrots {Edelpapageien of 

 the GeiTnans) and Ring-necked Parrakeets, the Love- 

 birds, Hanging Parrakeets, and a few others. 



CHAPTER XIIL 



SUB FAMILY P.AL^ORNITHIN/E. 



(Eclectus Parrots, Ringnecks, 

 Lovebirds, etc.). 



This is a group of brightly-coloured birds, in many 

 of which the sexes differ in pattern and colouring; iii 

 some the tail is long and graduated, in others short and 

 S(iuare^ as in some of the typical Parrots. The beak is 

 powerful, smooth, often red in colour, the culmen 

 rounded, smooth, or with a longitudinal groove ; the 

 cere is narrow, of equal width, surrounding the whole 

 base of the beak, generally partly feathered. In the 

 wing the second and third flights are usually the 

 longest. All the species ai-e from the Old World. 

 Each group requires somewhat different treatment in 

 captivity. 



The Eclectns-parrots (Edelpapageien in German) 

 should, according to Russ, be fed in captivity upon 

 hemp, maize, sunflower, canary and paddy-rice, a little 

 sweet fruit — cherries, pears, apples, etc. (he furthermore 

 recommends somewhat damped bread, which I should 

 net advise), and fresh green twigs of "pointed-leaved 

 trees " — doubtless plum, cherry, etc. I should certainly 

 add nuts in winter, since these birds eat them when at 

 liberty. 



Red-sided Eclectus (Eclectus pectoralis). 



The adult male is brilliant green, the edge of the 

 wing blue, the flights dark blue, the outer webs more 

 or less green, tail feathers with yellowish tips, the 

 central ones green, the others blue,' with more or less 

 green on the outer webs, the outermost feather, how- 

 ever, with little or none ; sides, under wing-coverts, 

 and axillaries red ; flights and tail below black ; beak 

 with red upper mandible and black under mandible; 

 feet black ; iris red. 



The female is quite different : the head, neck, and 

 breast dazzling red, a narrow ring encircling the eye, 

 a band across the upper back, the edge of wing, che'st, 

 abdomen, and under wing-coverts blue, sometimes 

 purplish; primaries and their coverts blue, their outer 

 webs edged with green ; outermost secondaries with 

 their tips and part of their inner webs blue, otherwise 

 blood-red with greenish inner webs; back, excepting- 

 in front, rump, upper tail-coverts and tail blood-red^ 

 the latter with paler tip, and on the underside with 



