THE



Hvtcultural iHbaga3tne t


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. III. — NO. 29. All rights reserved. MARCH, 1897.



THE ORNAMENTED LORIKEET.


Trichoglossus ornatus.


By C. S. Simpson.


There are, I suppose, few aviculturists who have not at

some time or another been fascinated by the splendid beauty of

some species of Trichoglossus seen, perchance, at a Show or in a

dealer’s shop. Some, doubtless, have purchased such birds,

only to find that the attention required to keep them clean and

healthy was too great for their patience : others, more cautious,

have taken the precaution of referring to some popular work on

aviculture and have read so forbidding an account of the delicacy,

the uncleanliness, and the difficulty of feeding Lorikeets, that

they have then and there forsworn the care of such birds.


And yet, of a truth, Lorikeets are by no means specially

troublesome to attend to, provided that suitable surroundings

can be given them. I willingly grant that under unsuitable

conditions no birds are more troublesome and unsatisfactory to

the aviculturist.


Those members of the Avicultural Society who have kept

Ornamented Lorikeets will readily, I believe, endorse the above

remarks. An Ornamented Lorikeet kept under unsuitable con¬

ditions, that is, kept separately in a small cage, is a miserable

creature capable of affording but little pleasure to its owner;

but a pair of the species, kept in a moderately large aviary, are

things of beauty and a joy for ever.


The name of “Ornamented Lorikeet” was given to this

bird by Dr. Russ, in accordance with its Latin name, and a fairly

good description of the bird is given in that author’s “ Speaking

Parrots,” though he does not appear to have had personal

experience of it. “ It is,” he tells us,“ a native of Celebes, and the

Togian Islands. Dr. A. B. Meyer found it there in abundance

and sometimes in very large flocks, which flew away with rapid



