368 CUCULIFORMES 



CHAP. 



primary- co verts, outer webs of quills and the tail being blue. The 

 dozen species haunt grassy hills, feed upon seeds, berries, insects 

 and their larvae, run easily, take short flights, rise with out- 

 spread tail, and lay from four to seven eggs in holes in trees 

 without a nest. P. eximius is the Eoselle Parakeet of dealers. 



Loriculus vernalis is green, tinged with yellowish below and 

 with orange on the back ; the rump is red ; the throat, the inner 

 webs of the wing-quills, and the under surface of the tail are 

 bluish. The female has little blue on the throat. The flight is 

 rapid, but the birds are not shy ; they are found in pairs or 

 small flocks, and are said to. suck honey from the flowers. They 

 breed as does the last-mentioned species. 



The Ethiopian genus Agapornis shares with the Neotropical 

 Psittacula the appellation Love-bird, due to their habit of 

 sitting huddled together, their mutual caresses, and their intense 

 devotion to each other. If one dies, its mate not uncommonly 

 pines away. A. roseicollis of South Africa is green above and 

 yellower below, the forehead being red, the cheeks and throat 

 rose-coloured, the rump and median rectrices blue ; the lateral 

 tail feathers exhibit blue tips, red bases, and a black band. It 

 is found in flocks near water, flying quickly, uttering shrill, rapid 

 notes, feeding on berries and the like, and commonly breeding in 

 Weaver-birds' nests. A. cana of Madagascar, introduced into the 

 neighbouring islands, has the head, neck, and breast grey; A. 

 taranta, of Korth-East Africa, the forehead red, the rump and 

 tail green; A. pullaria, of West Equatorial Africa, the face orange- 

 red. The sexes differ only in these three species, wherein the under 

 wing-coverts are black in the male, but green in the female, which 

 lacks the grey or red, and in the third case has the face yellowish. 



Two dozen members of Palaeornis range from Senegambia to 

 Abyssinia, the Mascarene Islands, India, Ceylon, the Burmese 

 Countries, South China, and the Great Sunda Islands. P. eupatria, 

 the Eose-banded Parakeet or Alexandrine, and P. torquata, the Eose- 

 ringed Parakeet, are similar species from the Indian Eegion ; they 

 are green, with rose-coloured nuchal collar, black neck -stripes, bluish 

 median and yellow and green lateral rectrices, all tipped with yellow, 

 and in the former a red wing-patch. The female shews no pink or 

 black. These birds frequent both hills and plains, being often found 

 in societies ; they have a loud musical note, feed on fruits and grain, 

 and lay some four eggs on the chips in a hole cut out by themselves. 



