The PAPUAN LORY or RASMALAS (_Pyrrhodes carmosine Papuensis_) is one of
the somewhat aberrant forms of this group. In shape it is more elongated
than those we have just mentioned, and may be recognised by the two
middle feathers of its tail, which are longer than the body, and make
the entire length of the bird seventeen inches, of which no less than
eleven inches must be allowed to these middle tail-feathers: it measures
about fourteen inches across the wings. The plumage of the Rasmalas is
bright and beautifully tinted, its general colour scarlet, interspersed
with blue, golden, and grass-green spots; the head, neck, and top of the
back, and the whole of the under portion of the body, are scarlet, except
two streaks of splendid sky-blue, edged with scarlet, which run over the
hinder and middle parts of the head; the sides of the breast and legs are
spotted with yellow, the under tail-covers and the inner side of the legs
are deep blue, the wings green, and the centre tail-feathers light grass
green tipped with gold, these last colours being repeated upon the other
tail-feathers, only that the latter are of a somewhat darker shade at
their roots.
The Rasmalas is an inhabitant of New Guinea, and an article of traffic to
the natives, who treat the dried skins as they do those of the Birds of
Paradise, cutting away both the legs, before exporting them to Europe. As
far as we know, this species has never been brought alive to our part of
the world, and we are quite ignorant as to its habits and mode of life.