P.ED-$IDED 



or Sew #uinea Sclectus. 



Psittacus Linnei, Ess. 



Synonyms: $ Psittacus poly chlor us, Scpl.; Psittacus sinensis, Lthm.; 



Eclectus polychlorus, Gr.; Mas carinus poly chlorus, Fnsch.; 



Eclectus pectoralis, Z. S.; $ Eclectus Linnei, Wgl.; Eclectus puniceus, Bp. 



German: Der Neuguinea Edelpapagei. 



French: & Lori-per ruche a Jlancs rouges, ? Perroquet de Linne. 



THE mystery which for a long time surrounded these curious birds 

 has at length been satisfactorily cleared up, as far, that is to 

 say, as the wonderful difference of the colouring in the sexes is con- 

 cerned, for there is still some doubt whether the subject of the present 

 notice is not identical with the Gilola and the Ceram Eclecti, from 

 which the male scarcely differs in any respect, and the females in so 

 trifling a degree, that it seems almost absurd to make three distinct 

 species, of what in all probability are nothing but local varieties of 

 one. 



The male Eclectus appears to have been first described by Scopoli in 

 the early part of the eighteenth century, and afterwards more fully 

 by Edwards ; while the female, though mentioned by Miiller in 1776, 

 was not described till 1832, when Wagler included it in his Monograph 

 of the Psittacidce, under the name of Eclectus grandis. 



ff This elegant species, which exceeds the Amazon Parrots in size, 

 is a native of the Moluccas and New Guinea. In appearance, and the 

 colour of its plumage, it approaches the larger Lories, a resemblance 

 also indicated by the name given to it (Linnean Lory) by Latham 

 and others. The bill is black, with the culmen of the upper mandible 

 rounded; the nostrils placed at the base of the bill, and concealed from 

 view; the eyes yellow, and the ophthalmic region entirely clothed with 



III. H 



