J.bould kW. Hart Ad/et lith/
XOBICÜLITS AUK.ANTIBFKOH'S, SchlegcL.
Walter Im p.
LORICULUS AURANTIIFRONS, Schlegel.
Orang*e-crowned Loriculus.
Loriculus aurantiifrons, Schlegel, Nederlandsch Tijdschrift yoor de Dierkunde, iv. p. 19.—Salvad. Ann. Mus.
Civic. Genov, ix. p. 912.—Meyer, in Rowley’s Orn. Mise. ii. p. 245.
T h e present species, o f which a fine male was kindly sent to me by D r. Meyer, is one of the smallest
Parrots known, and forms one o f a group o f tiny Loriculi found in New Guinea and the adjacent islands.
I t was first discovered by the Dutch traveller M. Hoedt in the island o f Mysol; and since th at time it has
been collected in North-western New Guinea by M. Bruijn. The latter gentleman procured specimens at
A n d a i; and Count Salvadori, when recording this fact, believed that this was the first instance o f the
occurrence o f the species in New Guinea. T h a t it was the first instance published, there can be no
question, as Dr. Meyer, although he was the first to procure actual specimens, had not stated it in print.
He informs me in a letter th at he has no notes on the present bird, o f which he only procured two male
examples.
The following is a translation o f Professor Schlegel’s original descrip tio n :—
“ The first three quills are o f equal length and much longer than the fourth ; tail rounded ; bill not strong,
black. General colour of the plumage lively green, verging slightly upon yellow, and lighter on the under
than on the upper surface ; upper aspect of the inner web o f the quills black, with the exception of their
extremities ; lower aspect o f the primaries black, but with very broad edgings o f bluish verdigris occupying
the inner w e b ; this colour extends over nearly the whole o f both quills in the secondaries; greater
wing-coverts o f the same bluish verdigris, lesser and median coverts coloured like the abdomen. Tail-
feathers black in the centre, for the remainder green on their upper surface, verdigris below; rump and
upper tail-coverts fiery red, slightly shaded with orange on the sides o f the rump ; fore p a rt of the throat
with a spot o f red colour a little darker than th at o f the rump.
“ T h e sexes present the following differences in co lo u r: the male has a large patch o f lively orange,
occupying nearly the entire forehead ; not a trace o f this is seen in our female specimen, which is distinguished
on the contrary by the prevailing green colour, passing into verdigris on the forehead and sides o f
the h ead.”
F o r the opportunity o f figuring the male of this pretty little Parro t I am indebted to the kindness o f D r
A. B. Meyer.
The portrait o f the female bird is drawn from a specimen collected by M. Bruijn a t A n d a i; and I have to
acknowledge the kindness o f Dr. Sclater for permitting me to see this bird, which had been sent to him
for examination by Count Salvadori, to whom I also beg leave to return my due acknowledgments.
Total length 3 f inch es; wing 21, bill i , tail l i , tarsus j.
The figures in the Plate are o f the size o f life.