PREFACE 



It lias long been our desire to write a Monograph of one group of the Psittaci which 

 we hare always regarded as being an order of special scientific interest ; but a knowledge 

 of our very limited ornithological powers would ever have forbidden us to gratify 

 that desire had not Count T. Salvador! completed the admirable work on the Parrots 

 which constitutes the twentieth volume of the ' Catalogue of the Birds in the British 

 Museum.' Therein this accomplished ornithologist (who is so great an authority on 

 Parrots) has furnished us, ready to hand, with a careful classification, excellent though 

 short descriptions, careful statements as to geographical distribution, and an exhaustive 

 bibliography. The working-out of such a bibliography would have been an effort we 

 could not have undertaken, but at least every reference therein to be found has been 

 carefully verified and a few misprints corrected. 



Yet, in spite of the very great assistance provided for us by this Catalogue, Ave 

 shoidd still have shrunk from undertaking a Monograph of the Lorildce had it not been 

 that we knew we could count on the kind aid of our accomplished friend Dr. Bowdler 

 Sharpe, P.L.S., and on help and assistance from Continental naturalists. As to the 

 latter, we must, in the first place, express our deep obligation to Professor Alphonse 

 Milne-Edwards. It is now nearly thirty years since we first received valuable assistance 

 from his kindness, nor in the course of that long period has he ever failed most graciously 

 to respond to any request of ours for help or information. In the present case we have 



