126 DR. O. FINSCH ON A RARE PARROT. [Feb. 11, 
non-existent in Australia. Two species of it occur in New Guinea 
(G. dumonti and G. anais), Of the former of these we meet with a 
beautiful representative in the present collection from the Solomons. 
Again, the existence in the Solomons of two species of true Lorius 
and one of Geoffroius is quite sufficient to show the Papuan tenden- 
cies of the fauna ; and from these facts alone Mr. Wallace has already 
included the Solomon Islands in his Austro-Malayan region*. 
The subsequent discovery of a second species of the peculiar 
Papuan type Nasiterna in the Solomons has materially strengthened 
Mr. Wallace’s argument from what was then known of the Psitta- 
cine fauna of these islands. 
On the whole, therefore, it is manifest that the results derivable 
from the study of the present collection serve only to confirm the 
views Mr. Wallace has already put forward upon the avifauna of the 
Solomons, namely that these islands constitute an eastern outlier of 
the Papuan subregion. It need hardly be added that this makes 
the further investigation of their fauna still more desirable. Where 
such forms as Nasiterna pusio and Gracula-kreffti occur, it is rea- 
sonable to expect that other brilliant representatives of Papuan types 
likewise remain to be discovered. It would not be surprising if even 
new species of Paradisee were yet to be found in some of these 
islands, or in the adjacent lands of New Ireland or New Britain, the 
latter of which has already produced to us a very remarkable form 
of one of the most characteristic of Papuan types (Casuarius 
bennettit). 
Under these circumstances, I trust that our Corresponding Member 
Mr. Krefft and other numerous friends in Sydney will use their best 
endeavours to persuade the owners of the vessels which, as I under- 
stand, are trading between Sydney and these islands to lose no oppor- 
tunity of acquiring specimens of their natural productions. And I 
trust that the time may not be far distant when it may be possible 
to fit out a regular expedition for the investigation of this rich but 
hitherto comparatively neglected district. 
2. On a very rare Parrot from the Solomon Islands. 
By Dr. O. Finscu, C.M.ZS. 
(Plate XI.) 
Amongst the species of Parrots which are more or less obscure 
there is scarcely one rarer than the Lori cardinal of MM. Hombron 
and Jacquinot, which is only known by the figure published in the 
Atlas of Dumont-d’Urville’s ‘Voyage au Pole Sud’ (pl. 24 dis. 
fig. 2) in the year 1843. This plate represents a Lory belonging 
apparently to the subgenus Hos, Bp., being throughout of a brilliant 
scarlet, therefore an unmistakable species. The descriptive part of 
the zoology of the French voyage, published ten years later, by 
* Cf. P. Z. 8. 1864, p. 278. 
