128 How to Sex Cage Birds. 



Chapter XXV. 

 RING-NECKS AND ALLIES (Palceornithinat). 



Red-sided Eclectus (Eclectus pectoralis). 



In addition to the startling differences of plumage in the sexes — the 

 prevalence of bright green in the male and scarlet in the female, 

 the red iris of the male and the yellow one in the female, the red 

 upper mandible of the male and the wholly black beak of the female 

 — the male beak is much longer and fuller in front of the terminal 

 hook than that of the female. 



Grand Eclectus (Eclectus roratus). 



The male of this species is very similar to that of the preceding 

 bird, but the green colouring is a trifle more yellow, the lateral tail- 

 feathers usually bluer, and the upper mandible is tipped with 

 yellow. The female is thus described : " Red, the head brighter ; 

 collar round the nape covering the upper back, lower breast, and 

 abdomen purple ; the upper breast red, tinged with purple ; under 

 tail-coverts and a band at the tip of the tail, bright yellow ; 

 primaries and their wing-co verts, deep blue; secondaries, red on the 

 outer web, blue at the tip and on the inner web; the innermost 

 secondaries, near the scapulars, entirely red ; ■ tail, underneath, 

 golden red, towards the base dusky ; iris yellow ; bill and feet, 

 black " (Salvadori, in Catalogue of Birds, vol. xx. p. 394). The 

 measurements given show that the male is the larger bird; his beak 

 is much broader, more powerful, and the culmen is less arched than 

 that of the female. 



Wkstermann's Eclectus (Eclectus Westermanni). 



Unhappily the female of this species is not known at present. 

 No doubt the male will prove to possess a more powerful beak. 



In the species of Tanygnathus the sexes are much alike in 

 plumage, but the female is generally smaller than the male. 



Blue-crowned Parrakeet (Tanygnathus luconensis). 



Apart from its superior size, the male can be distinguished from 

 the female by its altogether longer, larger, and more powerful beak. 



Great-billed Parrakeet (Tanygnathus megalorhynchus). 



Count Salvadori actually notes the smaller size of the beak in the 

 female of this species, and Mr Seth-Smith says that the female is 



