J. M. Derscheid—Breeding of MitcJielVs Lorikeet 277


of breeding in captivity in the United Kingdom, but I think it may

be worth while to mention other cases of successful rearing of that

interesting kind of Lorikeet on the Continent.


First Record in Belgium. —In December, 1935, I bought from a

well-known German fancier a pair of Mitchell’s Lorikeets which were

reported to have at least once tried to nest at his place. Established

here in an indoor aviary they nested for the first time in April, 1936,

but they threw their two fertile eggs out of the nest after about fifteen

days’ incubation, partly eating the contents.


The pair was put in an outdoor aviary at the beginning of July,

and on the 15th August two newly-born youngsters, covered with

grey down, were seen in the nest ; the 29th August the two young

were still covered with grey down. On the 10th September they were

nearly full size, but not yet feathered except in a few parts ; the wing

and tail quills were showing themselves in sheaths and there were

a few red feathers at the front edge of the wing ; but by far the most

astonishing thing was that all the fore part of the head was covered

with velvety jay black feathers ; nothing to be compared with the

bluish feathers of the young Swainsons and Red-collared Lorikeets ;

the black colour is even more intense than in the adult Masked Love

bird ; the whole of the bill is also deep black at this stage. In the young

Swainsons and Red-collared, when leaving the nest, the bill is reddish-

black.


The above observations were of some ornithological interest,

specially as some modern Ornithologists have supported the view that

most of the recognized species of Trichoglossus were nothing else than

local races of Trichoglossus heematodus. The fact that the nestling

plumage of a Malayan species [T. mitchelU) shows such difference with

the corresponding stage in two well-known Australian species ( T .

moluccanus and T. rubritorques) is definitely opposed to that

hypothesis.


The two young birds mentioned above left the nest at the end of

September, practically undistinguishable from their parents, except by

their blackish bill; they are still alive in my collection (September,

1938).


The above breeding record was brought to the knowledge of



