CIIALCOPSITTACUS. 



BLACK-BILLED LORIES. 



Chalcopsitta, Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 3 (1849). 

 ChalcopsittacHS, T. Salvador]', Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, ix. p. 15 (1876). 



Type of the genus : C. ater. 



Generic characters. — Size about that of a turtle-dove ; tail-feathers twelve ; point of maxilla long but not 

 thin ; tail of moderate length, the feathers broad and rounded at their ends ; two middle tail-feathers 

 longer than the others; bill and cere black ; chin naked. (Cf. Salvadori, Cat. of Birds in Brit. Mus. 

 xx. pp. 11 & 12.) 



Range. Papuan Islands. 



The Black-billed Lories, which constitute the first genus, Chalcopsittacus, are amongst the 

 largest in size of the whole family. 



Though handsome birds, they are far from presenting that brilliant coloration which is 

 found in various genera and most of the species of Loriidce. 



The prevailing colour of the genus is either black without streaks, or brown or green 

 with streaks of yellow or green either on the nape only or generally over the body above or 

 below. The uropygium is always either more or less blue or else bright green, and the 

 under surface of the tail-feathers is always bronze with more or less of a bright green or yellow 

 shade. The tibise may be black, red, or yellow. In the brightest forms the edge of the wing, 

 the under wing-coverts, the forehead, and a band passing from beneath the eye across the 

 throat may be yellow or red. The skin is always naked around the eye, on the cheeks, 

 and from the mentum upwards on either side of the lower mandible. The feet are always 

 black. 



The sexes are alike. The birds of this genus have been called " Black-billed Lories," 

 not because there are not other Lories with black bills, but because that character dis- 

 tinguishes them from the species which compose the succeeding genera Eos and Lorius. 



Those species the habits of which have been observed are described as flying about in 

 small flocks through the woods, where they are said to perch on very small branches. They 

 frequently approach human habitations, which leads to their being often caught. Then they 

 are easily domesticated, and at least two species of them are said to be amongst the gentlest 

 of birds. 



We have described six forms as all possibly distinct species, namely Ch. ater, Ch. hern- 

 steini, Ch. insignis, Ch. duyvenbodei, Ch. scintillatus, and Ch. cliloropterus. 



A seventh species has been named Ch. stavorini in 1826, but the type was lost. It was 



B 2 



