88



Mr. R. Phillipps,



[We are very grateful to Mr. Goodfellow for this extremely interest¬

ing and valuable article.


The coloured figure which appears this month is the first illustration

ever drawn of this rare species which was described at a meeting of the

British Ornithologists’ Club on October 21st, 1903, by Dr. E. Hartert, who

made the following observations, as published in the Club’s Bulletin :


“This curious new Parrot resembles in its breast-markings the Cele-

besian Psitteuteles meyeri very closely, but the coloration of the head is

more like that of Ptilosclera versicolor. It would connect the genera

Psitteuteles and Ptilosclera , which are said to differ by their coloration only.

I cannot see that they can be separated, nor can I see the possibility of

separating Trichoglossus and Psitteuteles generically. I11 fact the “type” of

the genus Psitteuteles is as typical a Trichoglosus as I can imagine, though

T. meyeri , T. flavovirid.es, and T. chlorolepidotus differ more by the color¬

ation of the underside.


“This handsome Lor} 7 is named after Mrs. Johnstone, who is well

known as an aviculturist and especially successful in breeding Parrots in

captivity.”]



THE REGENT BIRD.


Sericulus melhvus.


By Reginald Phillipps.


(Continued from page 68 J.


On August 6, in the early morning, all was quiet, about 9

all was excitement. I found the mother on the perch across the

front of the hamper with her head down inside attending to

somebody, while the other two Regents, close behind her, were

looking over her shoulders and craning their necks in frantic

endeavours to get a peep at “ Baby.” If was a funny sight, but

an anxious time for me. I had been unable to obtain any cock¬

roaches, and, to my consternation, the mother would not look at

a mealworm. However, about 9.30, I persuaded her (for she

knows and rarely fails to respond to my call) to carry wasp-

grubs. Wasp-grubs, as received in London from advertisers in

the country, are unsatisfactor}^; they are more or less baked,

more or less sodden, more or less rotten, but fora while they kept

things going. From time to time, at most irregular intervals, I

obtained a few cockroaches, and these were seized with avidity,

the mother leaving the nest and following and calling to me for



