Psittacus Amboinensis, LINNÆUS; Le Lory Perruche tricolor,
BUFFON; Der Amboinische Sittich-Lory, BECHSTEIN.
This species somewhat resembles the Ceram lory, a variety of _Le Lori
Noir_ of Buffon (_Psittacus garrulus auroræ_, LINNÆUS); owing to this
resemblance the French also call it _l'Aurore_. Its length is sixteen
inches, of which the tail, which is round, measures half. The beak is
nine lines in length; there is no naked membrane, and the nostrils are
in front; the iris is of a golden hue. The head, the nape of the neck,
and all the lower part of the body, are the colour of vermilion. A ring
of sky blue, very indistinct, surrounds the neck; all the feathers on
the top of the body are of a beautiful green, with a fine edge of blue,
or some dark colour.
In the female, the head is green; the throat, the under part of the
neck, and the breast, are the same, but having a reddish tint. The small
tail-coverts are dark green, edged with red; the tail itself is tinged
with green. The beak is horn brown, with a reddish tint above and below.
OBSERVATIONS.--A pair of this beautiful species were sold to his
Highness the Duke of Meiningen as coming from Botany Bay, but they
are really natives of Amboina. Timid and wild, this bird has a sharp
whistle and a cry like "_gaick_," but cannot speak. The feathers are
so loose that they generally come off in the hand when touched; but
they grow again very quickly. It is kept and treated like the others.