THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
coloured, the head and neck ancl upper breast being bright red as are the back, 
rump, upper tail-coverts and tail above : across the breast, abdomen deep 
blue ; the primaries as in the male. Green is conspicuous by its absence as is 
red in the male. 
For one hundred years these sexes were recognised as distinct species 
and were even separated as distinct genera on account of the different 
coloration. The first field naturalist to state that these supposed species were 
male and female of one species met with disbelief and it was quite a long time 
before this disbelief was dissipated. 
In view of this interesting history it is very pleasing to bave such a 
remarkable form on tbe Australian List as an undoubted native. 
The species has been separated into several subspecies, but these are 
practically all dependent upon size as the coloration is remarkably constant. 
It is remarkable that the Australian form should be the largest of all ; thus 
Rothschild and Hartert (Nov. Zool., Vol. III., 1896, p. 535/6) wrote under the 
name Eclectus pectoralis aruensis : “ The Aru Island birds are also rather 
large (263-269 mm. in the wing) <J.” Salvadori’s measurements, given in the 
Brit. Mus. Catalogue, read : “ d whig 10.8 to 9.8 inches,” while the present form 
measures 296 mm. in the wing as given when I separated the Australian bird 
subspecifically. In similar cases some British workers have considered such 
a difference as worthy of specific rank, but I do not intend that such shall be 
admitted here. So the name for the Australian bird is Lorius 'pectoralis 
macgillivrayi. 
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