89 



TRICHOGLOSSUS. 



HEAD-STREAKED LORIES. 



Trichoglossus, Vigors & Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 287 (1826). 



Type of the genus : T. hcematodes. 



Generic characters. — Tail-feathers twelve ; point of maxilla long but not thin ; tail moderate, its feathers 

 gradually tapering to a point more or less acute ; predominant colour underneath, as well as above, 

 green; tail-feathers with no red or yellow at the tip; the two middle tail-feathers not very long; 

 the first four or five primaries not distinctly attenuated towards the tips; feathers of head with 

 shaft-streaks more or less blue on the forehead ; breast generally tinged with red. (Cf. Salvadori, 

 Cat. of Birds in Brit. Mus. p. 12.) 



Range. Australia, Tasmania, Timor group, Celebes, Amboyna group, Papuan Islands, New Hebrides, 

 and New Caledonia. 



The genus Trichoglossus contains, we think, the most brilliant in colour of all the Lories. 

 Most of the species are remarkable for tbe beautiful blue of the head, above all the lovely 

 T. cceruliceps (Plate XXXIV.) of Southern New Guinea and T. iiovce-hollandice (Plate XXXV.) 

 of Australia. 



Hitherto in our survey of the Lorine family we have not met with any kind which is 

 a native of the continent of Australia ; but species of this genus range from North-western 

 Australia and Cape York along Eastern Australia to Melbourne, and even (according to 

 Ramsay *) to Tasmania. There are only two other species of the family which extend so far 

 south f. The genus has also sent a representative (T. ornatus) to Celebes, another to the 

 Solomon Islands (T. massena), and others to New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland, the 

 New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and the Loyalty Islands. It is thus very widely distributed ; 

 and if we leave Australia and Tasmania out of account, the genus not only attains the 

 extreme western-island limit of the family, namely Sumbawa, but also shares with only one 

 other genus (Ilypocharmosyna) its southern limit (apart from Australia), namely New 

 Caledonia. 



As to the habits of the species of this genus, Mr. Gould tells us that " The flowers 

 of the various species of Eucalypti furnish them with an abundant supply of food, 

 nectarine juice and pollen, upon which they principally subsist. However graphically it 

 might be described, 1 scarcely believe it possible to convey an idea of the appearance of a 



* See P. Z. S. 1864, p. 293, and 1875, p. 602. 

 t Glossopsittacus condnnus and G. pusiilus. 



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