11. EOS RUBIGINOSA. 



(THE CHERRY-RED LORY.) 

 [Plate XIV.] 



Ghalcopsitta rubiginosa, Bonaparte, Consp. Av. i. p. 3 (1850); id. Compt. Rend, xxx 



p. 131 (1850) ; id. P. Z. S. 1850, p. 26, pi. xvi. 

 Trichoglossus rubiginosus, Pinsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffr. Heft xii. pp. 17, 18 (1878): id. 



Ibis, 1881, pp. 110, 111, 111 ; Rchnw. Vogelbild. t. xxx. fig. 6 (1878-83). 

 Lorius rubiginosus, Schleg. Mus. Pays-Bas, Psittaci, p. 129 (1861). 

 Domicella rubiginosa, Pinsch, Papag. ii. p. 781 (1868). 

 Eos rubiginosa, G. R. Gray, List Psitt. Brit. Mus. p. 53 (1859) ; Salvadori, Orn. Pap. e 



Mol. i. p. 267 (1880) ; id. Cat. of Birds in Brit. Mus. xx. p. 29 (1891). 



Very dark red, with a purplish tinge; tail above olive, yellowish towards the tip; quills dark olive. 

 Habitat. Puynipet, Caroline Islands. 



If the last three Lories described have been somewhat doubtful as to specific distinctness, 

 no form could well be more distinct than is the Cherry-red Lory ; and the same may be 

 affirmed of the succeeding species (E. fuscata), with which ends our description of the 

 genus Eos. Both also are exceptional in their geograjniical distribution. 



The type of E. rubiginosa is in the Museum of Leyden. Count Salvadori informs us 

 that Bonaparte was quite in error in assigning Guebe as the habitat of this species, and also 

 that Waigiou is a locality given in pure error, since the real habitat of the species is 

 the island of Puynipet, where it was found during the voyage of the 'Novara,' and where it 

 was extremely abundant, the members of the expedition collecting eight specimens in as 

 many hours. 



Dr. Pinsch, in his ornithological letters from the Pacific (published in the ' Ibis ' for 1SS1, 

 pp. 110, 111), tells us that this bird is most plentiful and more easily observable in the 

 island of Puynipet, where it was discovered by the ' Danaide ' expedition. He tells us that 

 it was " the first that attracted my attention when landing on the island, and in less than 

 half an hour I killed four specimens myself. This Parrakeet makes itself known by its 

 continual noise, uttered both on the wing and when resting in the foliage of high Trees. 

 It is not at all a shy bird, approaching fearlessly the neighbourhood of houses and plundering 

 the fruit-trees, notwithstanding all the means taken to destroy them. They keep mostly 

 in pairs, or in small companies of from three to five ; and often, when I had shot one of a 

 flock, the remainder would come down to their dying comrade and share the same fate." 



Prince Bonaparte's original description (Compt. Rend. 1850, p. 131) is as follows : — 



