283 
of the Mascarene Islands. 
A smaller species of Parrot—commonly known as Palteornis 
eques —still survives in Mauritius, but its numbers are gra¬ 
dually failing, though in the district of Grand Port, where 
the monkeys have been thinned, it seems to be enjoying a 
transient prosperity. It is shy, and frequents the forests 
only, retiring before cultivation. It appears to feed exclu¬ 
sively on the seeds and fruits of the indigenous trees, gene¬ 
rally keeping to their upper branches*. When going from 
one place to another it usually flies high, over the tree-tops 
and out of gun-shot, uttering a short call-note, “ kek," “ kek,'' 
repeated quickly four or five times, and something like that 
of a Water-hen ( Gallinula ). While feeding or sitting on the 
tops of the tall trees it not unfrequently whistles melodiously. 
To the excellent diagnosis and description of this species 
by Dr. Finsch (Papag. ii. pp. 35-40)* from specimens in our 
collection, little is to be added; but, in consequence of Mr. 
Hume's appeal (Stray Feathers, ii. p. 15), we may state that 
the example described by the former as ff Jungeres £ (oder £ )'' 
was one of the earliest we obtained, and was thus doubtfully 
marked before it was submitted to his examination. We now 
believe it to be an adult female, and may say that that sex 
seems to differ from the adult male in having a black bill, a 
very slight trace of the male's black gular ring, but none of his 
red or blue collar, and that in general colour she is as intensely 
green as he is. We have a young male which is hardly dis¬ 
tinguishable from the female, except that the bill is blackish- 
brown, while in another the red is beginning to show itself 
at the base, though there is not a trace of the black ring. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Caldwell we have two eggs of 
this species, which were taken with the mother from the nest 
in a hole of a tree. They measure 1*26 by 1*04 and 1*24 by 
1*04 respectively, and are of the lack-lustre white usual among 
the eggs of this Order of birds. 
* In only one instance did I ever see a “Catau” (as its name should 
be spelt, not Carteau) in the low brushwood. Littre (Diet, de la Langue 
Frangaise) says of this word :— u Catau. Fille de ferme ou d’auberge* 
Fille malpropre et de mauvaise vie. Abreviation populaire de Catherine.” 
-E. N. 
