33



Oct.23 i Westerman’s Parrakeet —Eclectus westermanni


Moluccas. Parrot House.



i Corn Crake —Crex pratensis British Isles.


,, 25 1 Great Vasa Parrot —Coracopsis vasa


Madalagascar.


,, 26 2 Black-tailed Godwits —Limosa cegocephala.


British Isles.



W. Aviary.

Parrot House.

Fish House.



The additions this month do not call for very much

comment, and, as in the preceding paper, the most valuable are

to be found in the Parrot House.


Several more specimens of that very scarce bird,Westerman’s

Eclectus, have arrived. This is the first occasion on which the

female of this species has been seen, for up to the present the

species has onty been known by a few males, scattered in various

Museums. The female is similar to that of E. pectoralis,

but the blue on the lower breast is of a dull purple, instead

of being similar to the collar, as in the last named species.

The male may always be distinguished by the absence of red on

the sides of the breast. Next to the Eclectus was a very fine

specimen of Forsten’s Lorikeet, a lovely bird with blue head

and neck, rosy breast, and green back.


A specimen of the Greater Vasa Parrot from Madagascar,

is also worth more than a passing glance, belonging as it does to

a peculiar genus, with a long tail and short stumpy bill, its

colour being of a uniform dull grey.


But among all the rarities, perhaps the neatest and most

valuable, is the Uvoean Parrakeet, from the Island of Uvoea.

It is a very small bird, about as large again as a Budgerigar,

with the breast, forehead, cheeks, and rump of a delicate light

blue colour. The head is glossy black, and a narrow black line

runs down the nape. The back is uniform light gre3 r with

a canary yellow patch on each shoulder. A second specimen,

presumably young, was in the same cage, and was dull yellow

in front, and grey on the back.


The other new arrivals in the Parrot House are a nice

pair of Orange Flanked Parrakeets, which were very lively,

running up and down their cage exactly like mice. I do not

remember ever having seen a Parrot run head downwards before.


In the other aviaries there has been but little of interest

this month. Passing through the Western Aviary one notices a

magnificent Lanceolated Jay Thrush in splendid feather. There

are also two specimens of the Pied Grallina, from Australia ; a

black and white bird, which, to the untutored eye, has similar



