Reference List of Coloured Plates of the Parrots.



85



sunset. On another occasion I saw, at mid-clay, an enormous flock

of them flying eastward from the same range, a little south of

Madura ; these, however, were probably merely taking their ordinary

rounds of a few hundred miles, but the others flying seaward at

sunset—where were they bound for ?” Well, Swifts have nothing in

common with Swallows excepting similarity in appearance, flight, and

manner of feeding. I noted recently that an aviator had chased a

Swallow successfully until the unlucky bird was killed by striking

against one of the stays of his machine; therefore it is probable that

some aeroplanes can attain to a greater speed than Swallows.



REFERENCE LIST OF COLOURED PLATES

OF THE PARROTS.


By Dr. E. Hopkinson.


A complete list of coloured plates of any group of birds would

be a most useful compilation, and that which follows is meant as an

essay towards this goal as far as the Parrots are concerned. It con¬

tains all the references of plates to these birds which I have come

across, but of course is by no means a complete list; for instance, I

know of no plates of such birds as the Tovi Parrakeet, the Black¬

headed Caique, or any of the Eclecti,* all comparatively well-known

species, which, I feel sure, must have been illustrated somewhere. I,

however, put it forward, incomplete as it is, in the hope that readers

who are able or who have the opportunity will help to fill the gaps

and correct the errors by writing to me, or better, to the Magazine,

as I am still an annual migrant between West Africa and Europe,

so that communication is sometimes uncertain and always delayed.

With such help I may hope that one day a really complete and

up-to-date list will be forthcoming.


It will be noticed that no reference is made to the beautiful

plates in Matthew’s ‘ Birds of Australia,’ but this (and other recent

books) I have not yet had the opportunity of seeing. (Here is a big

gap which can be surely filled at once.—E. H.)



* [A good coloured plate of the New Guinea Eclectus ($ & $) is figured in

Greene’s ‘ Parrots in Captivity,’ vol. iii.— -Ed.]



