Correspondence , Notes, etc. 211


the managers that it must remain even at the risk of its life, as the public

wish to see it!


Mr. Townsend’s Black-backed Tauager is certainly a male of Calliste

melanonota. I11 the skins in the British Museum some of the pale blue on

the wings has faded, and become brownish, but otherwise the specimens

agree with Mr. Townsend’s bird.—E d.]


Miss Peddie WaddkED writes to correct a mistake in the notes on

the Crystal Palace Show which appeared in our last number. Her Mealy

Rosellas received the fourth prize, not the second as stated.


IDENTIFICATION OF LORY.


Sir, —I am writing to ask you if you would identify a Lorikeet (or it

may be a Lory as I cannot find it in “ Parrakeets.”) Two of them were

rather palmed off on my servant, who went down for me to Lahore on a

bird errand. They were received in a dreadful panting condition, and

filthily dirty. One has already died after apparently recovering a little;

the other, a brighter cleaner bird, looks much better, but I do not trust it to

live. In good condition, they ought to be lovely birds. I see in the

Avicultural Magazine that a Hull dealer advertises Violet and Red Lories,

I should say that the tails of my birds resemble that of a Musky or a

Forsten’s rather than that of a Purple-capped Lory, wfiiich is the only Lory

I know; also their small size, smaller than a Musky, seems to demand the

affix “ keet ” The following is a description : Forehead, lores, sides of face,

ear coverts, and fore part of crown—red, the remainder of the head, neck,

nape, throat—black, each feather with a purple (or deep violet) fringe.

Breast, thighs, flanks near the thighs, and under wing-coverts are red. The

under tail-coverts are red fringed purple. The remaining under parts are

black fringed purple. Tail, above general appearance—dull reddish purple,

with black shafts; underneath the red predominates and the feathers are

brown shafted! Centre feathers (four) reddish purple altogether; outer

feathers show more and more red on their inner web as the} 7 near the out¬

side. Scapulars red, look as if they might at seasons have a purple fringe.

The lower feathers of scapulars are black, almost concealed by the red of

the upper ones. The back, rump, and upper tail-coverts red, the feathers

011 the upper back look like the red scapulars. Primaries and primary-

coverts, outer feathers are almost completely black with a red mark on

centre of inner web, this red rapidly increases inwards; the inner primary

coverts and secondary coverts are red, the lower feathers with black tips.

The secondaries are practically red with black tips, the red increasing in¬

wards. Feathers of quills are black shafted. Iris, black surrounded by

orange ring; cere, dark brown; upper mandible orange; lower paler,

almost yellow ; legs, feet, and claws, horn colour. The depth of fringe

varies, narrower in centre, i.e. the feathers show almost black on chin

and centre of throat and abdomen.


Size, to base of tail, nearly five inches; tail, three inches, but the



