A RARE PARROT 131 



it is not common, as during our stay only two were 

 met with. A thrush, or " bulbul "* is by far the 

 most abundant land-bird on Praslin, as it is also 

 on most of the other islands of the group. Its 

 notes are among the most unmelodious sounds I 

 have ever heard. All day long it pours forth 

 harsh shrieks. Several of them were brought 

 home alive, and regularly every morning at day- 

 break they would begin to scream, rarely ceasing 

 before sunset. In captivity they are of a most 

 quarrelsome disposition, though in a wild state 

 they are usually seen together in parties of from 

 two to twenty individuals. 



One of our chief objects in visiting Praslin was 

 to get a specimen of the black parrot. | These 

 birds are strictly protected by Mons. E. Boulle, 

 the owner of a greater part of the island, and 

 through his kindness we were able to see this rare 

 bird in a wild state. It is now only to be found in 

 one locality, where, close to Mons. Boulle' s house, 

 numbers come to feed on the flowers of a magnolia 

 tree. To this tree we made our way, but the only 

 birds we could find on our arrival were numbers 

 of thrushes and sunbirds. I shot two of the 

 former and one of the latter ; while packing them 

 up a native came to tell me that he had just seen 

 two parrots higher up the hillside. I started off, 

 but after spending a short time wandering 

 about amongst bushes, a most unlikely place for 



* Ixocincla craaairoatris. f Coracopsis barUeyi. 



