INSESSOUES. \)9 



Eucalypti. Gilbert informed me that it " congregates in 

 immense numbers ; and when a flock is on the wing their 

 movements are so regular and simultaneous it might easily be 

 mistaken for a cloud passing rapidly along, were it not for 

 the utterance of the usual piercing scream, which is frequently 

 so loud as to be almost deafening. They feed on the topmost 

 branches of the Eucalypti and Melaleuca. I observed them 

 to be extremely abundant during the month of August on all 

 the small islands in Van Diemen's Gulf. 



"The stomach is membranous and extremely diminutive 

 in size. The food consists of honey and minute portions of 

 the blossoms of their favourite trees." 



Could this species be transmitted to Europe, and a kind of 

 food suitable to it be discovered, it would form one of the 

 most delightful cage-pets that has ever been introduced. 



The male has the lores and crown of the head rich deep 

 red ; round the neck a collar of deep caerulean blue ; back 

 brownish green ; wings green ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 light yellowish green ; across the chest a broad band of pur- 

 plish red ; under surface of the shoulder, abdomen, flanks and 

 under tail-coverts light yellowish green ; all the feathers of the 

 upper surface with a narrow stripe of yellowish green ; the 

 stripes, being more yellow at the occiput, almost form a band ; 

 ear-coverts yellow ; all the feathers of the under surface with 

 a narrow line of bright yellow down the centre ; on each side 

 of the abdomen and down the inside of the thighs stained 

 with patches of purplish red ; primaries black, margined ex- 

 ternally with deep green, with a fine line of yellowish green 

 on the extreme edge of the feathers ; tail deep green, all but 

 the two middle feathers greenish yellow on their internal webs; 

 irides bright reddish yellow, with a very narrow ring of dark 

 red next the pupil ; bill scarlet ; cere and naked space round 

 the eyes greenish white ; tarsi and feet light ash-grey. 



The female resembles the male, but is much less brilliant 

 in all her markings. 



H 2 



