^44 ON THE GENUS LOEICULUS. 



to answer for myself, I frankly say I cannot decide, after some pains taken 

 to find out. 



A very practical and good authority, Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in the 

 ' Malay Archipelago,' speaks (vol. ii. p. 430) of the Great Black Cockatoo 

 (Microglossum aterrimum), and the little rigid-tailed Nasiterna, as the giant 

 and the dwarf of the whole tribe. Again (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 275) he mentions 

 " Nasiterna as the dwarf of the whole order." Also (P. Z. S. 1862, p. 165) 

 the same writer mentions " N. pygmcea, Q. & G., remarkable as being the 

 smallest of the Psittaci." 



We must in fairness bear in mind that since these observations were 

 written much has been discovered. 



Hear now what Dr. Finsch says (loc. mfrh cit^) : — " C. exilis vies in 

 littleness with iV. pygmcea; it possesses somewhat shorter wings. C. exilis 

 appears to be smaller, on account of its very weak thin bill ; and therefore 

 it may be considered as the smallest of all Parrots.'' 



At page 154, vol. i. of this work, I remark of a pair of N, geelvinMana, as 

 compared with a pair of N, pygmcea in my own collection, that the former are 

 a trifle the smaller of the two. 



Dr. Meyer, as will appear in this article, has made a comparison between 

 the skeletons of A^. geelvinkiana and Loriculus exilis. Not that I think bulk 

 of feathers, or measurement of skeletons (unless with a large series), and still 

 less dimensions of dried skins can decide the point. I should prefer to weigh 

 the living birds— a process I frequently adopt by means of paper bags, and 

 without the least injury; large specimens require to be bound with broad 

 tape. It is well known that some young birds are larger, or at least appear 

 larger, than their parents — of which there is no need to give examples. 



To make a long story short, Which is the smallest Parrot in the world ? 

 Dr. Meyer has kindly provided me with some observations on L. exilis, 



