Although not as elaborately decorated as the Yellowbreast, P. splendens, 

 it is a very attractive species, whose length is IS to 20 inches, with the head 

 and all the upper surface crimson; across the nape a wide, deep-blue band; back, 

 rump, upper-tail coverts and wings bright green; primaries and their coverts, 

 as well as the outer secondary feathers, blue; lastly as a striking contrast, 

 the eyes are deep orange. It is a question whether this species was not at 

 one time confined to Kandavu and whether the individuals found on Viti Levu, 

 for example, were not introduced from the former island. Be that as it may, 

 wild examples are rare outside Kandavu. This one of the four Pyrrhulopses is 

 the favourite cage-bird in the Colony, not only because of the abundant supply 

 of young birds but because of their talking powers, their display of affection 

 and intelligence and because they practically never scream nor make other 

 disagreeable noises when in captivity. Although their rather shrill monotone 

 is a common sound in the Kandavan forest, they seem to abandon loud notes when 

 in captivity. 



They are fair talkers and whistlers, but in exhibiting these accomplish- 

 ments do not make themselves a nuisance to the neighborhood, as do some of 

 the other large parrots. Some years ago the Samoans were in the habit of mak- 

 ing excursions to Fiji to shoot "Kakas" and other birds of bright plumage, 

 that they might weave the feathers into their mats. It is also said that they 

 were not averse to trapping or buying live birds that they might pluck regular 

 crops of feathers from the unfortunate parrots. This cruel practice continued 

 until the arrival in the Colony, as Governor, of that sympathetic and well- 

 known naturalist, Sir. Everard im Thurn, who put an end to the scandal. The 

 large Fijian parrots build their nests in hallow trees, and generally 20 or 

 30 feet from the ground k The writer discovered one nest in a decayed, stump 

 less than five feet high. The central hole was eight inches across and the 

 next was a very primitive affair, consisting only of the debris that had 

 accumulated in the bottom of the excavation. There were three, nearly round, 

 dirty-brown eggs which, when cleansed, became uniformly white. They measured 

 one and three-sixteenths by one and three-eighths inches. 



The other species of this interesting genus are peculiar to (or the 

 types hail from) Taviuni, Vanua Levu and lioro respectively. They differ from 

 the Kandavan variety mainly in the amount of blue on the nape of the neck, 

 it being entirely absent in the first mentioned and seen only as an inconspi- 

 cuous streak in the other two. 



In about one percent, of the long -tailed Fijian parrots, cases of what is 

 called heterochrosis occur; that is, the red, green and blue feathers in the 

 birds' plumage to a greater or less extent change to yellow and white. Al- 

 though this colour alteration is abnormal it frequently is seen in perfectly 

 healthy subjects of great intelligence and vivacity. Koreover, the alternations 

 often result in colour combinations far surpassing in attractiveness the 

 plumage tints of the normal parrot. 



The chief glory, however, of Fiji's avifauna is her wild Fruit Pigeons 

 and Doves, several of which are found only on the islands of the Group. Limited 

 space forbids more than a passing mention of two of the larger Pigeons - the 

 Nutmeg Pigeon (so-called from its favorite diet, - Globieera Pacjfica, with an 



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