THE PILEATED PARRAKEET. 193 



well as from the fact that he would also suck any 

 flower that was given to him, that in his native country 

 he and his fellows subsist, at least partially, on the 

 nectar of the blossoms of the trees and shrubs indigenous 

 to those parts. 



Pilate was a very clean bird, and took great care 

 of his plumage, bathing regularly every morning in 

 his cup as soon as it was filled afresh, and of course 

 emptying it, by splashing it all about as well as over 

 himself, but when it was refilled he never soiled it a 

 second time. 



One of his most remarkable peculiarities was the 

 care with which his dung was always deposited in the 

 same place. This may have been an idiosyncrasy, but 

 if a habit of the race it is certainly a very curious one. 



As the species is seldom met with I will describe 

 it in full, premising that the specific name Pileatus 

 has been bestowed upon it in consequence of the cap 

 of deep crimson that covers the top of the head. The 

 cheeks are yellow with a greenish tinge; the wings 

 and wing-coverts as well as the back of the neck, the 

 back and the two long central tail-feathers are rather 

 dark green ; the rump is yellowish-green in the female 

 and orange-red in the male ; the breast and belly are of 

 a delicate shade of lavender with a slight purple tinge ; 

 the vent is red and the inner tail-feathers are lilac 

 with white tips, and much paler on the under than 

 on the upper surface. The bill is light horn-colour, 



13 



