24 



forth ; but a very brilliant little red-and-blue Lory, which I had never seen before, was very 

 abundant. Before we left Lirung, the natives had sold and presented to members of our 

 staff and crew at least three score of these pretty little creatures ; but the mortality among 

 them on our voyage was tremendous, and I believe that not a half-dozen reached Monado 

 alive. Three specimens were presented to me, but they all died, apparently of cramp, before 

 we reached Sanghir. It is very curious that this bird should be so abundant in these islands, 

 comparatively rare in the neighbouring islands of Sanghir, and unknown in the great continent 

 of Celebes." Being thus common it is quite possible it may have been carried to Monado, 

 in North Celebes, so might have escaped into the forests of Minahassa. Mr. Hickson, however, 

 declares (as above quoted) that it is "unknown" in Celebes. 



That this species should, ever have been called the Indian Lory is a mistake comparable 

 with that which caused a familiar small American Bodent to have been named the " Guinea " 

 Pig, or led the domestic species of an exclusively American genus of Gallinaceous birds to be 

 designated the "Turkey." 



Individuals of this species have been exhibited in our Zoological Gardens. The Hon. and 

 Bev. Mr. Dutton tells us that a specimen observed by him and Mr. Greene was by no means 

 timid, but rather forward, " greeting a new comer with a series of shrill outcries as it clung 

 to the side of its cage which was nearest to the intruder. The bird was extremely tame and 

 would take food, a piece of fig or a grape, from anyone's fingers. It was fed on rice boiled 

 and well sweetened, also bread and milk and ripe fruit. It never seemed to ail anything ; 

 yet one morning it was found dead in its cage." 



In a few instances, individuals of this species have been induced to eat seed — hemp, 

 millet, or canary. 



It may be very definite in its likes and dislikes, for Mr. Dutton quotes a letter from 

 Dr. Meyer in which he says that it was very affectionate towards his wife and liked to be 

 near her, but that it was always unfriendly to him. 



This species is readily distinguishable from every other of the genus, save the following 

 one, which resembles it closely, by its blue and red coloration and especially by the extent of 

 the blue in its plumage. 



The vertex, the ear-coverts, more or less of the nape, the interscapular region, and the 

 whole of the breast are of a rich dark blue. The flanks and the vent are purplish blue, the 

 uropygium and upper tail-coverts are red. The under tail-coverts are red, with purple-blue 

 tips. The scapulars are black. The upper wing-coverts are red, with black tips. The quills 

 are black, except the bases of the inner webs, which are red. The secondaries are red, with 

 black tips. The tail is dull chocolate-brown above (with dull purplish reflections in some 

 lights) and red beneath ; the inner webs of the lateral feathers are red above. The bill 

 is orange-red; the feet are blackish. Total length 126 inches, wing 6 - 6, tail 5 - 3, bill 0*9, 

 tasus - 75. 



Of the skins in the Natural History Museum, two from the Wallace collection, both 

 collected by him in Sanghir, are noteworthy, because while one of them has a specially large 

 and uniform patch of blue on the breast (as delineated in our Plate), in the other the blue is 

 mixed with red. 



