The firft Black-capped Lory* 
T HIS Bird feemed to me to be fomething bigger than the Turtle-Dove, but 
not quite To big as a Dove-Houfe Pigeon. The Length of the Wing, when 
clofed, was five Inches and three Quarters, by which Note any one may magnify 
from the Print a Figure of the natural Bignefs. 
The Bill is made as in other Parrots, and of an Orange-Colour; the Tongue 
is Black ; it hath a dufky Fledi-coloured Skin at the Bafe of the upper Mandible, in 
which are placed the Noftrils, pretty near together. The Eyes have bright, golden 
Irides, and are encompafied with Spaces of bare Skin, of an obfcure Flefh-Colour. 
The whole Crown of the Head is cover’d with black Feathers, that have a little 
of a blue Cad on the Hinder-part; the Remainder of the Head, the whole Neck, 
Back, Rump, Coverts above the Tail, Bread:, Sides under the Wings, and upper 
Part of the Thighs, are of a very fine Red, or Scarlet-Colour; except a Plat 
of Blue behind, (between the Neck and Back) which is a little broken and 
intermixed with the Red, and another Plat of blue Feathers on the lower Part 
of the Bread, which like wife mix and break amongd the red Feathers. The 
lower Part of the Thighs, the lower Belly, and the Coverts beneath the Tail, 
are all of a fine blue Colour. The Tail is Blue on the upper Side, though the 
middlemod Feathers have fomething of a dufky-green Shade; the inner Webs 
of the Tail-Feathers are Yellowidi, fo that the Tail is Yellow beneath ; the 
Wings are Green on their upper Sides; fome of the Middle-Qujlls are Yellow 
on the Borders of their Webs. The inner Webs of the Quills are of a fine 
Yellow, except at their Tips, which are Dulky; the Covert-Feathers within 
Side the Wings are Red ; the Ridge of the Wing is Yellowidi ; the Legs, Feet 
and Claws, which are pretty drong, are like thofe of other Parrots, all of a dark- 
brown, or blackifh Colour; the Skin is rough and fcaly. 
Thefe Birds are brought from the Eajl-lndies. I faw the Bird from which the 
Figure was taken, at the Virginia Coffee-Houfe, behind the Royal-Exchange , 
London ; and another of them in the Collection of my late Friend George Holmes , 
Elq; Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London. Thefe were both duffed. I 
have fince feen another of them brought alive from India , from which I had the 
Colour of the Eyes and other Parts that fide a little in dried Birds. I have taken 
the Name Lory from Nieuhojf. Our Countryman, Albin , has exhibited a Bird of 
this Kind, which he calls a Laurey , and fays it is from the Brafils ; but I dare fiy 
he is midaken. I take his Bird to be from a Drawing of the Bird done by Guefs, 
for common Shop-Sale. What Birds Albin himfeif drew from Nature, are all in the 
fe’if fame Attitude, he never drawing any but in one Podure : Such as are varied a 
little from his general Rule are all borrowed Draughts, as my Experience has 
confirmed to me in many Gf them. I believe we have never had a Figure of 
this Bird. 
