Psittacus Lori, vel Lory. Synonyms: Psittacus atricapillus, Gml.; P. exquisitus Loeri dictus, Sb.;

Ara moluccensis varia, Bp.; Lorius tricolor, Gr.;

Lorius Philippensis, BRss.; Domicella Lory, WGl.

German: Der Frauenlori., Rss.

French: Perruche Lori des Dames, BfFn.

THIS exquisite bird, also called the Black-capped and Philippine Lory, has long been known to naturalists, and prized by amateurs-It was described by Edwards in 1751, and ten years later by Linnaeus, while Bechstein, towards the close of the eighteenth century, gave it a place in his Natural History of Gage Birds, in which he speaks of it in the following terms:-"The Black-capped Lory is still more scarce in Europe than the preceding (the Purple-capped Lory, P. domicella), therefore it is dearer, but appears to possess all its good qualities," which, our readers may recollect, are not a few; as duly recorded in our account of the latter bird in our first volume.

The subject of the present notice is a native of the northern parts of New Guinea and the adjacent islands, where it subsists for the most part on the nectar of the myriad flowers that make for the botanist an earthly Paradise of that mysterious region, and for which boiled rice, well sweetened with Demarara sugar, forms but an indifferent substitute, so that one is not surprised to find that its life in captivity is not a very long one, however merry it may seem to be; and certainly few birds appear to take such genuine pleasure in being noticed and made much of by their master or mistress as the Black-capped Lory, for it rivals the Hawk-headed Parrots in this respect; which is speaking volumes for its amiability and general good character.

True, it screams now and then, like all the Lories, indeed like all the Psittacidae, but its cries are not harsh, and by no means unbearable: on the contrary, to the writer at all events, there is something fascinating, not to say soothing, in the notes of this most charming bird; which on account of its rarity in the market commands a high price, £4 or £5 per head, according to its condition when received by the dealers.

The Tri-coloured Lories that are now and then offered for sale in this country have, it must not be forgotten, been taken from the nest when young, and educated carefully by their captors, who are usually endowed with a large stock of patience; they are consequently, as the Germans say, "finger-tame," and make the most charming pets imaginable. How a specimen captured when full-grown would comport itself in confinement we cannot say, not having had the advantage, or disadvantage, of observing one under such conditions; but we venture to think it would not be difficult to tame, though perhaps it might not prove to be quite as teachable as another that had been taken in hand and trained from the nest.

Dr. Buss, on the authority of Seba, relates that a Dutchman bought one of these Lories from a native in Amboina for 500 guelders, which taking into consideration the beauty and charming disposition of the bird, was not, he thought, too high a price to pay for it; it spoke a number of words distinctly, and that in several languages; would wish him "good morning", and sing a song. So attached was this bird to his master (whether the Dutchman or the native is not stated) that it died of grief when separated from him.

Edwards highly praises a bird of this description, which spoke quite distinctly a number of words, and would jump nimbly from its perch on to bis finger, calling out in a soft, clear voice, "Lory! Lory!" It would play with his hand, swing too and fro, and hop as lightly as a sparrow. It did not long survive its arrival in England.

Buff on also, as might be expected from a Frenchman, gives "Le Lori des Dames" an excellent character, comparing its charming disposition with its beautiful coat, and affirming that neither can be excelled by any other member of the family.

Dr. Meyer has at different times possessed a number of these Lories which all spoke distinctly.

On the other hand Finsch credits them with small capacity for learning to speak, which he says they never do with the facility and fluency of other Parrots. The preponderance of the testimony we have been able to collect upon the subject, is decidedly in favour of the Tri-colour as a talking Lory, and not only a talking, but a generally to be desired member of the family to which he belongs; and we cordially recommend him to the favourable notice of our readers.

The sexes in this species are almost indistinguishable in outward appearance, which is not a matter of importance, unless it be desired to get them to breed; for the females are as intelligent and docile as their mates.

It is a pity this charming bird should have been so frequently confounded with its congener the Purple-cap, for however delightful the latter may be, the present species excels it in every respect. It is curious, too, how the confusion can have arisen, seeing that while there are undoubtedly points of resemblance, there are far more marks of differentiation between the two species; and we can only attribute the mistake to want of personal knowledge in the matter, on the part of those who made it.

However, when one comes to consider what a veritable terra incognita New Guinea has for many ages been to the rest of the world, and that even now its varied treasures of animal and vegetable life are but imperfectly known, we should not, perhaps, be hypercritical, for, after all, it is easy to confound together distorted and more or less imperfect skins, that are not improved when exhibited in the form of incorrectly mounted specimens in the glass cases of a museum, and in days gone by the art of the taxidermist was far, very far, from having attained to that degree of perfection we can now witness in the galleries of the South Kensington Museum of Natural History, and the windows of more than one London naturalist, several of whom who may be correctly described, not as bird-stuffers, but as artists in still-life, whose pictures rival, if they do not excel, the efforts of the most celebrated delineators of nature on canvas, or in black and white.

We are not aware of any instance in which these rare and beautiful birds have bred in captivity, or have even produced eggs, as their relatives the Purple-caps occasionally do, even in the case of a solitary female that has been kept for years; but there is little doubt that as the habits of this species are better understood, egg-production at all events will take place some day, and that stage in the process of reproduction reached, there will be every chance of complete success even in our chilly climate; and a brood of young Tri-colours will delight the heart of some fortunate amateur, by making their appearance in his aviary or bird-room, when perhaps he least expects it.

The Hon. And Rev. F. G. Dutton's Account Of The Tri-Coloured Lory (Lorius Tricolor)

This bird, which is called by the French and Germans the Lady Lory, is about the size and shape of the Purple-capped, but differs from it very much in its plumage. It is much more gorgeously coloured. The cap on its head is pure black; the sides of the head and throat and neck are a glowing carmine; the back of the neck and shoulders are violet-blue; the middle of the back, the rump, and upper tail coverts are carmine; the wing feathers are dark green on the outer side and yellow on the inner, with black tips; the tail feathers are red for the first half, but run into violet at the end. Underneath, the bird is of a rich violet blue, passing into a brighter blue round the thighs, and towards the tail. The beak is orange, like the Purple-capped Lories, the eyes are dark, and the legs and feet are dark. Russ says there are different colours, and different sizes. I have only seen four specimens myself. I did not notice any difference in colour, but one of the four was much smaller than the others. But it is not only the colour of this Lory which makes it so much more lovely than the Purple-cap, but a peculiar silky texture of the plumage that gives the bird's plumage an indescribable lustre. As I have said, I have only seen four, and perhaps one must not generalize too hastily, but three out of the four had the most delightfully charming ways. They loved to be played with, and having a much pleasanter note than other Lories, suggested great possibilities of talking and whistling.

I fancy they are not very long-lived. The drawback to them is that they are not seed-eaters: at least I could not induce the one I kept to have anything to do with seed. But if any one could introduce Tri-colour Lories on seed, I can conceive of no more charming Parrot for a cage bird. They are very fond of washing. If they are allowed to fly loose they do not wander far. They very seldom come into the market, and so command a higher price than the Purple-cap, for whereas the Purple-cap may sometimes be bought as low as thirty-two shillings, the cheapest Tri-colour ever offered me was £1. But they are such charming birds, that in spite of my dislike to Parrots that want soft food, I can hardly resist buying them when offered.

A word in conclusion as to its name. I cannot understand why we should have christened it the Tri-colour Lory, seeing it has at least six or seven different colours. The French have much more reason in calling the Ceram Lory, Lori tri-colore, for that really has only three colours. By far the best name is Bechstein's of the Black-capped Lory, though the French have given that to the Purple-cap.