THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 185 



narrow channels that divide the islets there clustered, small 

 flocks pass over head every five minutes, flitting from isle to isle, 

 and screaming a qui mieux, mieux, as they fly. They are perma- 

 nent residents ; we secured them from December to April and re- 

 ceived specimens killed in every month from May to September. 



153.— -Loriculus vernalis Sparrm. (22.) 



This pretty little loriket is common enough in the South 

 Andamans about Port Blair and Port Mouat, in the islands in 

 Macpherson's Straits, in Stewart's Sound, in the Little Andamans 

 at the extreme south of the group, and again about Port 

 Cornwallis in the Northern Andaman. The birds are absolutely 

 identical with those from Southern India, except that the 

 general tone of plumage is somewhat brighter. The sexes differ 

 in no respect either in size or plumage. 



The following are dimensions of numerous specimens recorded 

 in the flesh : — ■ 



Length, 5 - 6 to 6 ; expanse, 10*25 to 11 ; wing, 3*6 to 3*75 ; 

 tail, from vent, 1*8 .to 20 ; tarsus, 0-3 to 0*35 ; bill, from nostril 

 to point, 0-45 to 0*48. 



The legs and feet vary from pale orange to orange ; the soles 

 are fleshy or pinkish white ; bill and cere are sometimes orange, 

 sometimes orange vermilion, sometimes crimson, and sometimes 

 vermilion. The irides vary from white to excessively pale 

 yellow, but are sometimes pinkish white. 



In a recent article, (vide ante, p. 1-28), I was compelled to 

 notice less favorably than I should have desired. Dr. Finscb/s 

 treatment of the genus Palceornis ; having this species before me 

 I thought it only fair to refer to Dr. Finsch's account of it, 

 and I am sorry to say that I find him here at the old objection- 

 able trick of substituting for well-known and established names 

 new fangled ones of his own, merely to please a morbid pseudo- 

 classical taste. Thus Loriculus becomes Coryllis, Finsch ! ! 



When we come to his diagnosis of this particular species, 

 we find it open to question on a cardinal point. He says that 

 the middle of the crown in adults is suffused with clear blue, 

 which is wanting in the young. Now this is, it strikes me, 

 far from correct. In the perfect adult, and I speak with 32 

 specimens before me from Anjango, the slopes of the Nilghiris 

 and the Andamans, (besides a cage full of the live birds recently 

 sent me from the latter locality,) there is not the smallest trace 

 of blue on the crown. In younger birds, which may be distin- 

 guished by their somewhat duller plumage, especially where 

 the red of the rump is concerned, a blue wash on the forehead 



