Parrots of the Genus Eclectus. 
475 
Mr. Forbes gives the diagnostic table published by me in 
1875 (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 757) of the three better- 
known species, E. polychlorus, E. grandis, and E. cardinalis. 
He mentions that, accidentally, I have transposed in the table 
two names, as he has ascertained from a corrected copy of my 
paper that I had forwarded to Mr. Sclater. It seems that 
Mr. Forbes has not observed that the correction has been 
also properly made in the errata at the end of the volume 
in which my paper is contained ; anyhow, it appears to me 
that, knowing my accidental mistake, he should have given 
my table in the right way, which is as follows:— 
1 Virides: lateribus rubro-puniceis. (Mares.) 
a. Majores. 
a'. Yiridis, colore obscuriore, cauda minus cserulea . . 1. polychlorus. 
b'. Yiridis, colore laetiore, cauda magis caerulea .... 2. grandis. 
b. Minor, cauda vix caerulea . 3. cardinalis. 
2. Itubrae: fascia interscapulari et abdomine cyaneis, vel 
violaceis. (Feminae.) 
a. Annulo perioculari cyaneo. 1. polychlorus. 
b. Annulo perioculari cyaneo nullo. 
a'. Subcaudalibus pure flavis. 2. grandis. 
b’ . Subcaudalibus auroreis, vel rubro-flavis. 3. cardinalis*. 
In the conclusion of his paper Mr. Forbes attempts to give 
the sexual differences and the geographical distribution of 
the different species. But, according to my views, he is 
wrong on both points. 
As regards the differences, leaving aside for the present E. 
westermanni and E. cornelice , it seems that Mr. Forbes has 
been misled by not having attended to the correction in my 
table. So of E. grandis he says “ cauda vix cserulea,'” which 
characteristic belongs to E. cardinalis; and of this he says 
“ cauda magis cserulea,” instead of “ cauda vix cserulea.^ 
Not less important is the mistake as regards the geogra¬ 
phical distribution. Mr. Forbes says that E. polychlorus 
“ Habitat in insulis Papuanis et Moluccanis,” while in fact 
it is only to be found in the Papuan Islands. The three 
species E. polychlorus , E. grandis , and E. cardinalis are 
representative forms which inhabit each a peculiar area : 
* I have altered the order of the females to match that of the males. 
