131 



confined to the most dreary desert country, and must either 

 travel long distances to water or require very little of it. In the 

 stomichs of those opened the seed of the Triodia predominated. 

 When noted they were disturbed whilst feeding amongst the 

 " Spinitex,'' and usually perched on the nearest tree irrespective 

 of species. Mr. Wells has since reported seeing several within a 

 few miles of the Fitzroy River.] 



N'o. 9. Ptistes erythropterus (Red- winged Lory). 



Ps'ttacibs erythropterus, Gmel., Syst, Nat., vol. I., p. 344 

 (1781). 



Aprosmictus erythropterus, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., vol. V., pi. 

 18 (1848). 



Ptistes erythropterus, North, Nests and Eggs, Austr. Bds., p. 

 •255. pi. 14, fig. 5 (1889); Salvad., Cat. Bds., Brit. Mus., vol. 

 XX., p. 481 (1891). 



Three adult males, one adult female, one young male. Camp 

 about five miles from the junction of the Fitzroy and Margaret 

 Rivers. Similar in colour and size to examples from Eastern 

 Australia, except in having the tail-feathers slightly more 

 yellov^'ish-green. Two eggs, taken from a hollow trunk of a tree 

 near the Fitzroy River, March 17, 1897, are rounded ovals in 

 form, white, and slightly nest-stained, the measurents of both 

 being alike, 1*18 x 0-97 inch. Gould records in his " Birds of 

 Australia " that he met with this species on the Liverpool Plains, 

 but neither Dr. Ramsay in his " Tabular List of Australian 

 Birds," nor Count Salvadori in Catalogue XX. of British 

 Museum include New South Wales in the habitat of the Red- 

 winged Lory. These birds are by no means uncommon in the 

 Northern and North- Western parts of the colony. I met with 

 them on Namoi River in November, 1896, and I have known of 

 their eggs being taken from nesting places in trees on the Bogan, 

 Macquarie, and Warrego Rivers. 



[This beautiful Lory was only found in the vicinity of the 

 Fitzroy River, where it appears to be fairly plentiful. Seldom 

 more than two or three birds are seen at a time, excepting at the 

 Ficus-tvees which happen to be in fruit, and then as many as 

 half-a-dozen are to be found devouring the small berries, of which 

 they are very fond. Probably in the latter case it is only a 

 family group. On March 18, Mr. Arch. Blyth pointed out a tree 

 into which he had noticed one of these birds enter. As we 

 approached the tree a bullock-whip was cracked several times, 

 but the bird sat close until the limb was struck, when she emerged 

 from a hollow branch about 40 feet high. A native was sent up,, 

 but holes had to be cut along the horizontal limb and down the 

 trunk until the nest was located, about six feet from the ground. 



