92 NEW GUINEA EGLEGTUS. 



to believe that she could be the female of E. polychlorus. Nevertheless, 

 such is undoubtedly the case, as was clearly proved by the author of 

 that splendid work, The Birds of Australia, John Gould, F.R.S., who 

 during one of his expeditions, heard from f the natives' that the two 

 supposed ( species' stood to each other in the relation of husband and 

 wife, but absolutely declined at first to believe the tale. 



" However, having shot a number of birds of both 'species', he 

 found that all the green ones were males, and all the purple ones 

 females; facts that shook his confidence in his own opinion, while 

 subsequent observations led him to the conclusion that the aborigines 

 were right after all, and that he had made a mistake, which he 

 certainly very seldom did. 



"The female Eclectus then is a much more resplendently attired 

 person than her mate, and may be thus minutely described. — The head 

 and upper neck are a rich crimson red; the lower neck, breast, belly, 

 and upper part of the thighs purple, with a lilac shading; the mantle, 

 back, scapulars, wing coverts, and upper tail coverts rich scarlet, with 

 a purplish tinge. The flexure of the wings and outer webs of the 

 quills are sky blue, and the vent and apical fascia of the tail yellow. 



"Such a superabundance of rich colouring induced the earlier 

 ornithologists, who obtained specimens of this bird, to class it with 

 the Lories, with which, however, it has nothing in common but the 

 outward resemblance, which is too often deceptive; for its diet consists 

 of seeds rather than fruit, and it is quite incapable of subsisting upon 

 honey and the nectar and pollen of flowers." 



The owner of f Sir Garnet' not considering that justice had been done 

 to his pet, described him as follows in a subsequent number of the 

 same journal in which the notice had appeared: "I think he is a most 

 handsome bird, and has got as many different colours on him as the 

 female, if you will allow me to relate them: Beak coral tipped with 

 pale yellow, no nostril seen; head and neck bright grass green, the 

 feathers like hair; top of each wing bright royal blue; back of neck 

 yellow; back bright golden green; under the wings bright crimson, 

 green between with a rose of crimson on the front of the breast; 

 flight feathers purple; end of the wings crossed at back. The under 

 part of the tail is purple, upper part bright green; each feather in 

 the tail is half green and crimson-green, and blue-green and purple. 

 The end of each feather is shaded like a golden geranium leaf. 



"When the light is on him, he is simply grand. I think you will 

 see by this that 'Sir Garnet' is not to be beaten by any other Parrot, 

 and can hold his own against all comers, including even his female 

 partner." 



