Blue Mountain Lory. 443 



BLUE-CROWNED HANGING PARRAKEET {Loriculus galgtdus), Malacca. 

 Psitlacus galgttlus (Russ), Psittacus flavigulus, Psittacus pumilius, Psittcicula gal«ulus, Psittacula galgida, Psittacula 

 cyaneo-fiUata, Loruu'us pumilis, Coryllis galgiilus. English dealers' name — Malacca Hanging Parrakeet. German 

 name — " Blauscheiteliges Papageichen," or "Blausclieiteliger Fledermans-papagei." 



The most beautiful of these small Parrakeets is the gorgeous Blue-crowned Hanging 

 Parrakeet {Loriailus galgiilus), from Malacca, a miniature Parrot not larger than a Goldfinch, 

 of bright green colour, a bright blue spot on the top of his head, and a large patch of brilliant 

 vermilion on his throat and tail. This little bird loves to hang head downwards in his cage. 

 If we could but keep this charming little bird ! I have tried it, and Loriculus galgiilus would 

 not live : the English climate does not appear to agree with this delicate Parrakeet. In France 

 and Germany amateurs have been much more successful. Boiled rice well sweetened, very 

 ripe fruit, and canary-seed are the only things these dainty dwarfs will touch. 



BLUE MOUNTAIN LORY, or SWAINSON'S LORIKEET {Trichoglosstis NovcE-HollanduE), Australia. (Illustrated.) 



Piittacus Swamsonii (Russ), Psittacus Novce-Hollandice, Psittacus luematodus, Psittacus cyanogaster, Trychoglossus hcematodus, Tr, 



vmlticolor, Tr. Swainsonii. English dealers' name — Blue Mountain Lory. German name — "Lorivon den Blauen Bergen." 



In 1868 the Zoological Society of London purchased a pair of Blue Mountain Lories, 

 and about 1870 these brilliant birds first began to make their appearance in bird-dealers' 

 shops. Since then they have been frequently imported, and are now readily obtainable by 

 any amateur willing to spend £0^ or .^5 on a pair of such very gorgeous Parrots. 



Of all known Lories the Blue Mountain Lory most readily takes to a diet of seeds, 

 eating chiefly canary-seed. I would advise to feed these birds on a mixture of canary-seed, 

 oats, millet, Indian corn, and hemp-seed, giving daily in addition either a piece of sponge- 

 cake, a little sweetened boiled rice, a couple of dates or figs, or some ripe fresh fruit. 



Some writers on cage-birds have called Swainson's Lorikeet a very delicate bird. This 

 assertion is contradicted by the fact that I have kept these birds for years without difficulty. 

 I presented one bird of this kind to a friend in the autumn of 1870, and this bird lived 

 over six years in my friend's study, laying several eggs, although kept singly. Besides canary- 

 seed and maize, this Blue Mountain Lory was fed on a little sugar, with occasionally a morsel 

 of raw beef scraped very fine and mixed with scraped carrot. I have before me the names of 

 four amateurs who have successfully bred this Parrot. 



Male and female of Swainson's Lorikeet are very difficult to distinguish, the only difference 

 being that the blue head of the female is a trifle less bright. Whether the sometimes more 

 orangCj sometimes more scarlet tint of the breast is due to sex or age has not yet been 

 determined. 



Like most Parrots, the Blue Mountain Lory can only be kept with other Parrots at 

 considerable risk, and I had to learn that two males put in one cage under the impression 

 of being a pair can kill each other. On the whole the bird is amiable, but rather shy. His 

 noise, however, is nearly as disagreeable as his plumage is beautiful. 



BLUE-STRIPED LORY {^Eos reticulata), Timorhaut. (Illustrated.) 

 Psittacus reticulatus (Russ), Domicdla reticulata, Lorius Cor7ieus, Eos cyanostriata. English dealers' name — Blue-striped, 

 Blue-streaked, or Blue-necked Lory. German name — " Blaugestrichelter Lory," or " Gestreifter Lory." 



A highly ornate bird, but very difficult to acclimatise. As stated above, the Blue Moun- 

 tain Lory is really the only Lory, many specimens of which endure cage-life in Europe. The 



