101 



6. TRICHOGLOSSUS COCCINEIFRONS 



(GRAY'S LORY.) 

 [Plate XXXI. Fig. 2.] 



Trichoglossus coccineifrons, G. R. Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 183 ; Pinsch, Papag. ii. p. 815 

 (1868) ; Salvadori, Orn. Pap. e Mol. i. p. 296 (1S80) ; id. Cat. of Birds in Brit. Mus. 

 xx. p. 56 (note) (1891). 



Inner webs of the quills red towards the base ; a collar on the hind neck red, not greenish yellow ; abdomen 

 blue; head purple, with some red feathers on pileum. 



Habitat. Aru Islands. 



This species reposes upon a single skin which was obtained by Dr. Wallace in the Aru 

 Islands, and constitutes the type of the species. It is preserved in the British Museum and 

 is numbered 73.5.12.1501. Our figure of this type is, we believe, the first representation 

 of the species, or variety, which has yet appeared. 



Count Salvadori, when examining and cataloguing this skin, thought it most likely that 

 it was a hybrid between T. nigrogularis and Clialcopsittacus scintillatus. 



Not being able, however, to make up our minds to accept this way of regarding it, 

 we rank it provisionally as distinct, and rejoice to be able, by means of our figure, to facilitate 

 future investigations as to its nature. On comparing the specimen with T. nigrogularis we 

 find the colour of the breast to be of a much deeper red and traversed by bands which are 

 broad and purple, instead of being narrow and black, as in the last-mentioned species. The 

 thighs are red, mottled with green. There is also a dark reddish collar, instead of a well- 

 defined light yellowish-green one. 



Pinsch remarks that the specimen has rather the appearance of a variety than a species ; 

 but he expresses a suspicion that it is immature, and that with age the whole head might 

 become red. 



Salvadori elsewhere (Orn. Pap. e Mol. p. 297) observes that he should regard it as a 

 variety of T. nigrogularis, save for the red on the quills, adding that he saw in Gould's 

 collection, Trichoglossi from Australia which resembled it in many respects, and seemed 

 to bear to T. novce-hollcmdicB the same relationship that he was disposed to regard 

 T. coccineifrons as bearing to T. nigrogularis. 



The general colour above is green, including the primary, greater, and median wing- 

 coverts ; the lesser wing-coverts are green and yellow. The quills have the inner web 

 yellow for about the median third, their apices are olive-green. The secondaries bear yellow 



