in captivity in lower bengal. 271 



Length of life in captivity. 



Nine years. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — The lories, especially the purple and black-capped, are 

 sometimes kept as pets, and although confined in small iron cages, or 

 chained to a perch, some have been known to live a number of years ; 

 an aviary is certainly to be preferred ; but unless the place is large 

 and the temper of the birds known, different species should not be mixed 

 up ; experience has shown that the black and the purple capped lories, 

 and their congeners, fare badly when placed with the trichoglossi from 

 Australia. The lories live happily with other birds, in a large aviary, 

 but the trichoglossi have to be lodged separately : both of them are 

 excessively fond of bathing. For this purpose suitable provision should 

 be made ; particular and constant attention should be paid to the 

 cleanliness of an aviary where a number of soft- billed parrots, and 

 indeed all birds feeding on soft food, live. 



Food. — The purple and black-capped lories, and other allied 

 species, thrive on a mixed diet of bread and milk, fruits, roots, vege- 

 tables and insects; the trichoglossi feed on seeds, fruits, vegetables, 

 bread and milk, boiled eggs ; they all like sweet things, so that bread 

 soaked in honey and water are very welcome to them ; fibrous food is 

 said to be beneficial to their system ; whether this is so or not, they 

 immensely enjoy nibbling at plants and shrubs, especially of a fibrous 

 nature ; sand and gravel should be strewed over the bottom of the cage 

 or the floor of the aviary, as, even for soft-billed birds, some grit is 

 necessary for digestion. Feeding vessels should be placed iu such a 

 way that their contents may not be soiled by the dropping? of birds. 



Breeding. — None of these birds have ever bred in this garden, 

 although a solitary female of a purple-capped lory has sometimes 

 produced eggs. 



Transport. — Be careful about cold and draughts. 



Treatment in sickness. 



Lories have now and then been known to die of fits and inflamma- 

 tion of the chest ; diarrhoea is not uncommon among them. 



Observations on their habits. 



Most of these bJrds become easily reconciled to captivity; their 

 power of speech is limited, but they surpass other parrots in intelligence 

 and amiable qualities ; the lories, as a rule, are remarkably tame and 

 demonstrative, and grow much attached to their owner and keeper; 

 though generally peaceful, they are sometimes troublesome to the other 

 inmates. A small purple-capped lory was found one morning per- 

 sistently pecking at a crown pigeon, and even holding on to its tail 

 when the latter attempted to escape by flying. They all have very 

 leanly habits, and a lory may often be seen trying to clean its plumage 

 bey rubbing or washing. 



