38 THE BIEDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 



LORIUS SOLITARIUS (Lath.). 



Latham says (Gen. Hist, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 190) : — 



''112. Solitary Parrot. Inhabits the island of Feejee, in the Pacific 

 Ocean, whence it is brought into Tonga-taboo and Otaheite for the sake of 

 the red feathers in the plumage. Now and then seen alive in the latter 

 island. The manners are solitary. 



"At Otaheite and the Friendly Isles Parrots in general are called 

 Kakao, and the Parrakeets Hainga. — Cook's last Voyage, Appendix.'' 



He describes one in Lord Stanley's collection. 



As regards the solitary habits mentioned above, Mr. Layard says (Ann. 

 & Mag. Nat. Hist. Nov. 1875, p. 344) that his son saw it in company with 

 Trichoglossus aureocinctus. 



Again (P. Z. S. 1875, p. 426), the same writer remarks : — " This lovely 

 little bird, called ' kula ' by the natives (and solitarius by Latham, because it 

 is never seen alone^^ is found throughout the islands, its favourite food being 

 the flowers of the Erythrina when in bloom, or those of the cocoa-nut when 

 others fail. The collector, if he wants these little beauties, need only seek 

 some tree in flower on which they feed, and sooner or later every flock in 

 the district will visit it. I have heard of sixteen being killed off^ one tree in 

 a morning's shooting. They are trapped in great numbers by the natives, 

 for sale to the Tongans and Samoans, w^ho periodically pluck them, their 

 crimson feathers being much used for ornamentation. Europeans find much 

 difficulty in keeping them alive even for a short period ; but I am told the 

 native girls chew sugar-cane and berries, and allow the birds to feed from 

 their lips." 



Drs. O. Finsch and G. Hartlaub (' Ornithologie der Viti-, Samoa- und 

 Tonga-Inseln/ p. 23) describe the adult thus : — 



^^ Supra psittacino-viridis ; pileo^ abdomine imo et tibiis splendide violascente-caendeis^ occipite 



