281 
Parrots of the Genus Eclectus. 
the determination of the sexes is not always very easy with¬ 
out careful dissection, the suprarenal bodies in birds being 
particularly liable to be mistaken for the testes when the latter 
are not developed to the extent that they are during the breed¬ 
ing-season. On the whole, I think, we must conclude, in 
company with Dr. Meyer and Count Salvadori, that the green 
JEdecti are really males, the red females. 
With regard to Dr. Meyer’s conclusion that all the species 
hitherto described must be regarded simply as forms of one 
species (E. polychlorus ), I have already adduced reasons for 
believing that E. westermanni and E. corneliee are good species. 
As regards the other five, a careful examination of a large 
series of skins from different localities (we now know that 
Eclectus extends east as far as Yule Island and Duke-of-York 
Island) will be necessary before coming to any definite con¬ 
clusion on the subject. Count Salvadori, however, who has 
probably had as large a series of specimens from different 
Papuan islands of this genus as anybody, recognizes three 
distinct species (besides the two of unknown habitat), which 
he .says may always be recognized as distinct at any age or 
in either sex. He gives the following table of these species 
as understood by him (l. c. p. 756):— 
1. Yirides: lateribus rubro-puniceis. (Mares.) 
a. Majores. 
a’. Yiridis, colore obscuriore, cauda minus ceerulea. . 1. polychlorus. 
h'. Yiridis, colore lsetiore, cauda magis cserulea .... 2. cardinalis * 
h. Minores. Cauda vix caerulea .. . 3. grcmdis*. 
2. Itubrse: fascia interscapulari et abdomine cyaneo vel 
violaceo. (Feminae.) 
a. Annulo periophthalmico cyaneo . 1. polychlorus. 
h. Annulo periophthalmico nullo 
a'. Subcaudalibus auroreis vel rubro-flavis. 2. cardinalis. 
b'. Subcaudalibus pure flavis. 3. grandis. 
In this table the green E. cardinalis is, I suppose, the inter¬ 
medins of most authors, whilst the red E. polychlorus is clearly 
what is usually called E. linncei. 
* In the original paper Count Salvadori has accidentally transposed 
these two names, as I have ascertained from a corrected copy of his paper 
that he forwarded to Mr. Sclater. 
