Nov., 1924. 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
113- 
THE BLUE-PACED LGRILET, ALSO CALLED 
COXEN’S FIG PARRAKEET. 
(Opopsitta coxeni, Gould.) 
By R. Illidge. 
In Nature Notes, by J. O’Neill Brenan (“Daily Mail“ 
for 9th August, 1924), my name is mentioned as being one 
of those who had seen living examples of this parrakeet 
in its native habitat. 
Hence I feel compelled to substantiate Mr. Brenan 's 
remarks as to this fig-eating lorilet, and add my own 
very meagre knowledge regarding its habits as described 
by him. A specimen of the bird (stuffed skin) was ex- 
hibited by me at one of our own 'mieetings some years 
ago, and remarks on the rarity of the species made, but 
do not appear to have been recorded. On a previous 
occasion I had shown skins of the Paradise Parrot, under 
name of Beautiful Grass Parrakeet, and made remarks 
as to the approaching extinction of that superb species. 
Coxen’s Lorilet was never a common species, but the 
Paradise Parrot was about 40 years or more back. The 
latter is, despite the find of a few specimens in a certain 
district of Queensland, on the verge of complete extinc- 
tion. The Lorilet is fast following in its wake, as I will 
show later on. 
Mr. Gregory Matthews, in his splendid new work 
on the “Birds of Australia,” beyond the description and 
figures of the birds, male and fdnuale, has no information 
regarding same, except that “small flocks of them had 
been seen outside a scrub, aud some were shot to make 
a pudding. ” Now T cannot imagine anyone shooting these 
tiny parrots for such a purpose. Tihe Little Tjorikeet 
(Glossopsitta pusilla), is a bird of the open forest, flies in 
small companies and is usually abundant when enealypts 
are in bloom, it has been mistakeri 'for the hg ])arrot' 
The Blue-faced Lorilet has been shot by me uoav over 
40 years ago, when collecting bii^d skins was a craze and 
a companion was a nuisance. However, when T obtained 
w'hat T desired, generally about six, aud of these four 
males and two females, my wants were satisfied. T had 
no exchanges that T can remember. They were first seen 
by me in the Brookfield and Lnog’gera scrubs, especially 
