308



P. H. Maxwell—The Black and Crimson Oriole



426. Swift parrakeet, Lathamus discolor. First, France, 1887 ;

first for the U.K., 1936.


427. (Night Parrakeet, Geopsittacus occidentalis .) Bred by Russ

teste De Brisay.


NOTE.—Dr. Hopkinson will be out of England till the end of April or May.

This will not, he hopes, prevent additions and corrections to the breeding

summary coming in.



THE BLACK AND CRIMSON ORIOLE


Oriolus cruentus malazanus

By P. H. Maxwell


In the London Zoo are two most beautiful birds from Malay—the

Black and Crimson Orioles. The adult male of this bird has glossy

black plumage with a greenish cast, primary coverts decomposed

deep blood-red, the primaries beneath them white, a large patch of

deep crimson on the breast, bases of feather white, inner aspect of

wing sooty brownish black. The female is almost as glossy as the

male above, but has no blood-red on the primary coverts, the lower

breast and belly is greyish, broadly mottled with black and a faint

suggestion of wine-red on the edge of the feathers. The young are like

the female but duller and the lower surface is paler and greyer, some¬

times with rusty edges, the red feathers gradually appearing in the

young males—the primary are the last to become completely red—it

is probable that it takes about two years to acquire complete adult

plumage. The iris of this bird is chestnut, red bill, and the feet are bluish

horn coloured. The total length is 9 to 9*5 inches, wing 5*2 to 5*7

inches, tail 3*9 to 4*1 inches, tarsus 0*9 to 1 inch, bill from gape 1*25

inches, culmen 1 inch. The nesting habits of this bird are unrecorded.

It is nearly always found about 3,000 feet, but it has been seen in

Kinta, Perak, at quite low altitudes. Being quiet and retiring in its

habits, it is not often observed—living alone or in pairs in heavy

forests where big trees abound. Its range is from Northern Perak

to Southern Selengor in the Malay Peninsula. There is a very closely

allied Oriole to this species which has the primary coverts entirely

blood-red, except for a narrow basal black bar, and the patch of blood-

red on the breast is of larger extent.



