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Mr. D. Seth-Smith,



did not recognise P. weberi as a distinct species, but considered

it merely a variety of P. mteles. but this is accounted for by

the fact that the British Museum, whence Dr. Mivart obtained

most of the material for his book, has never contained a single

specimen of the true P. weberi, though the two species are

admirably figured in Max Weber’s journal, above referred to,

to which Dr. Mivart had access.


Mrs. Johnstone has very kindly supplied me with the

following notes for the Avicultural Magazine on her living

specimen of this rare and interesting bird :


“ A new Lorikeet, new at least to me, came into my

possession early in January of this year. It was a lively and

interesting bird and reminded me much of the Blue Mountain

Lorikeet, having the same lively manner and quick alert move¬

ments. The colouring was a harmony in green : blue-green

head, leaf-green back, and yellow-green bar across the breast

and nape of the neck. The eye was ruby colour and the beak

a coral red.


“ The new arrival made great advances to a hen Perfect

Lorikeet (Psitteideles euteles), a modest retiring little creature.

She was always to be found close to him, and he always shared

with her any good thing that came his way in the shape of a

sweet water grape or a piece of banana. He performed the

curious love dance which is peculiar to most of the Lorikeets.

He very rarely screamed, in fact his note was not unpleasant

unless alarmed, when it became unpleasantly shrill.


“ I fed him, as I feed all my Lorikeets, on powdered

biscuit (fancy lunch) moistened with sweetened boiled milk,

made fresh every morning, and a piece of banana or orange or

sweet water grape; I believe he also ate a few canary seeds.


“ I kept them in a cage for some time and then, thinking

the exercise would be beneficial, turned them loose in a large

indoor aviary. But alas! one morning I missed him, and when

examining a hollow tree-trunk put to induce a pair of Black-cap

Lories to nest, I found him at the bottom—dead: he had

probably climbed in and been unable to get out.


“ I sent him at once to Mr. Seth-Smith who pronounced



