TOfOHOGLOSSUS SWAINSONII, Ja rd . and Sett.
Swain son’s Lorikeet.
Perruche de Mohquee, 7 |3 . ' '
Blue-bellied Parrakeef, Bro^n^ I ^ j6#Znnl^ pi; 7.
B k e - le lh e d I ’a r ,A, IJ’J a u \ ^ T p l ‘ Bay..pi. inp. 182,-Shaw, Gen. ZooL,Tol Tiitn « 3
"-S.-knK59. .
H Perruche à tête,J>leue, male, L e ^ a iU ^H m t i e f p e r r , to jn i. pL 24
Trichoglossus fuematodus \ u , d i i i l ^ iM in J jm * , \ o l n p 289
----- - - « r t j g i s j U . W \bluiml, oji3.
----------- — ^ Jrnl. m a : : s ^ .® û * m f ^ |ij i . pi 112,-Sclb. N il lab. O n , voL vi Parrots, p. 183.
# rj* — I b ' f k . s . o f B ird s , v o l'H . p. 304.
IVaiitn, \bpnoiotsijpN(\y ^nutli-.^Valt,
^ J§ § fepSJi^ !p i0f i |8g ^ » f e in ili ir t>f .v-.r^QMl, Jo ji.t. h a* bmi for "^opy years confounded with two
~ other nearly allied species, and hence has arisen an almost inexplicable mass of confusion respecting them;
W S synonymies have, however, been most ably worked out by Mr. Swainson in a paper sent by him
to Sir William Jaxdipe a n i Mr. M a y l|j?ijsgr$q®' i# ,# # r « Illustrations of Ornithology,” wherein those
gentlemen, fully satisfied of the justness of Mr. Swainson’s observations, took an opportunity of naming this
" species Swainsonii, a tribute to the talents.of that naturalist in which I most cordially participate.
'ff-’y *Sfee present bird, so far as is yet known, is almost exclusively an inhabitant of the south-eastern portion,
of the Australian continent ^ ^ p p f e v e e n South Australia and Moreton Bay; at least I have never heard
of its existence in any part westward , of the former or np^hward of the latter. It also occurs in Van
kajn<|, but its visits to that island !dp.not appear tQ-ber either reguiar or frequent.
T 'l|ie t e e r | ^ t h e various specie^ of Eucalypti furnish t f e l |r d with an abundant supply of food, and so
exclusively is it confined to the forests composed of those-trees, that I d o f^ llreco lecl to have met with it
111 any otlier- It also evinces, a preference for^Jbose, . t j ^ S ^ J f e r e d ^ ^ ^ S l y expanded blossoms,
which afford them the greatest supply of ^ a i ^ ^ i f e j a n d pollen, upon which Ihey principally subsist.
H ow e v e^ ^ ^ ^ cn ll^ it migMIbi described, f e c ^ c e y believe, it nossible fo ^ n vey an idea of the appearance
o f a forest o f flowering gums tenanted by seyeral species of Tnchoglossi, Meliplagi, &c.; three or four
species being frequently seen on the same tgeg||ind oftenSimUltaneously attacking the pendent blossoms of
the same branch.- The incessant din produced^ by their thousand voices]-; and the screaming notes they emit,
when a flock of either species simultaneously leave the t i y i ^ r some o ^ S ^ ^ o f ^fhe forest, baffles all
description, and must be seem and heard to mMifllv» comprehended. So intent are the Trichoglossi for some
; i f e sunrise upon extracting t h ^ | ^ ^ ^ | | d g that they, are not easily alarmed or made to quit the
trees,upon which they are feeding. The report of a gun discharged immediately beneath them has no other;!
effect than to elicit an extra scream, or Cause them to-rnoye^tp a neighbouring branch, whet® they again
feeding v^ith all the avidity possible, creeping among the leaves and clinging beneath the
branches in every variety of position. During one of my morning rambles in the brushes of the Hunter I
came suddenly uppn:;a ^ |^ jn e n s e Eucalyptus, which was at, leasfetWo ^ ^ ^ ^ f e e t high. The blossoms of
this noble free had attracted hundreds of birds]3|iooth Parrots and H c n h ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ; apd from a single
branch I killed the-;f&ur species of Trichoglossi inhabiting the -IE Swainsonii, chlorolepidotus,
concinnus and pusillus. I mention this fact in proof of the perfect, h a ^ ^ y i^ p S if e l between these species
while feeding; a night’s rest, hq wever ,|apffthe taming effect of hunger, doubtle^cputf ibuted much to this
harm on iou^ feeing, as I observed that, atfother periods of the d&^heyftwe^e
Although the T. Swainsonii is so numerous in New South Wales, I did not snc^eedlimfmocuring its eggs ;
the natives informed me that they are two in number, and that tjiey are deposite^h^clidlesf^qf the largest
Eucalypti, the period o f incubation being fromjSeptembei? to January.
Head, sides of the face and throat blue, with a Bg^ei^stripe dov^thefeeptre- of each feather; across, the
occiput a narrow band of greenish yellow the upper surface green, blotched at the bpse p fth e neck
with scarlet and yellow; wings dark grecn on their outer webs; their inner webs black, crossed by a broad
oblique band of bright yellow | tail green abovc,, ^s,sing.into blue on the tips of the two central feathers!
under surface of the tailgrp.enish yellow; chestciy>|^d>byia broad band, the centre of which is rich scarlet,
with a few of the feathers fringed wi|h deep blue, and the sidesLbeihg^ri^h orange-yellow margined with
scarlet; under surface of the shoulder and sides of the chest deep blood-red; abdomen rich; deep blue,
blotched on each side with scarlet and yellow; under taikeoverts rich yellow, with an oblong patch of
green at the extremity of each feather-;- bill blood-red, with the extreme tip yellow? nostrils and bare
space round the eye.brownish black; irides reddish orange, with a narrow ring of dark brown next the
pupil; feet oliv§» ' <-
The sexes resemble each other so closely both|imsizp. and colouring that they cannot be distinguished
with certainty.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the n|dujapsize.