T R IC H O G L < p § « VERSICOLOR, n s.
Varied Lorikeet.
Trjchoglo,^ ■■iJ,:l'..S'ilh in Ndi I ib Oimfini: vi Parrots, p. 157 p i 21.
We-ro, ofeyAboragmes.of'TQrt Essmgton
^Thjbesis no otKen species of l&egenjis Trichoglossus yeMispoW«}.jrith which the present could be.eoa-
,hiun(kd »'l'Jisiditfjiu I FI i idered conspicuously distinct from allies hy the narrow aikpe of yellow down
the teutre’ofH^e fa th e rs ■•] l£@ f f i ^ i i d und|r surfepe j" igm lfp p l^ e re fo re be necessary to en te r into a
-.a;nUte,deBeripti0n ^ ^ ^ ' : is- r i O ^ u rM,ularlv aa,the figures in the accompanying Plate are of the
size of life; and_as neajjthe appearance of nature asj'it lVppssible to-peurtray thpm.
northern coast is the only part of A u stra h a^ ^ lb eh thi i.le.yi|tflijili lorikeet has yet been disco- ill’”11 ‘ EssingtoAherffits suGtpriaIm§jli of feeding leads it, like the other
mi mbvrsn^he |H S g | fecipn'm ^ c llmvery^h«(!/>*. Mr.-,Gilhert s p i l ‘ This bird"congregates at times
in immense flo c k s® g g g | fli»k i>on t h i ^ u ig d ju y n n*miiN are so regular and simnlmnppy't ^ t they
might easily b e mistaken forraafiI^n.d n g ^ s r r apidly It TOM i^h e utteranceyofj their usual
pigri unr v t ,i a n i ^ in li is.lrii| j ^ ^[i^o‘]puij? e lii.he.almostdeafening. They'feed on the topmostbranehes
oflthe Eucalypt^agA Melaleuca. them to belxiicmely tlmuilant during thp month of August on
ff j |p he small islands in Van Diemen’s, (idf.< -•
i-T he stpgj^eh'js membranous extremely diminutive iirsize.' 'T h efood consists’qf honey and minute
portion^, o f the blossoms of their favourite trees.”
Could this species b ^ ^ ^ H t i e d ^ ^ n r o p e , and a kind of food suitable to p K discovered,, it would
form one of the most dehg^ljul cage-pets that has ever beenlm^oJhcei."^~
-Tjbe male has the lores and 'erown of the' head rich deep red x ^oli ^ ^ ^ n e c k a collar of deep cmrulean
:^ P .5 back brownish green; wings green; rijmg°and upper tad-coverts light yellowish, green; across the
qhest a broad baiid ^M j ^ li s h r e d ; under surface of the shoulder, abdomen, flanks andhndgr' tail-coverts
;% h t yellowish gre en; all the feathers of the- upper surface with a narrow stripe of yellowish green j ;th ^
stripes being more yellow at the occiput, almost form a band; ear-coverts, yellow; all the feathers, o f|
the under surface with a narrow line of|hrigh^;y 4 lfe | down the centre; o if^ ^ ^ s td e of the abdomen and
down the ingide o f the thighs stained Tyithpatches of purplish r e d ; primaries black, margined externally
with «.deep green, "with a fine lij^cjflyeUoj?^; green on fh ^ extreme edge of the feathers; tad deep green,
all hut the two middle feathers green^h yellow on their internal webs ;^Mdes bright reddish yellow, with a
very narrow ring of dark red next the pupd; bill scarlet; cere and naked §nace round the eyes greenish
white; tarsi and feet light ash-grey.
The female resembles her mate, hut is much less brilliant in all her markings.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.