TRICHOGLOSSUS SW AINSONII, Jard. and Selb.

Swainson’s Lorikeet.

 

Perruche de Moluques, Buff. Pl. Enl. 743.

Blue-bellied Parrakeet, Brown, Il. of Zool., leeds

Blue-bellied ae White’s Voy., pl. in p. 140.—Phill. Bot. Bay., pl. in p. 152.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 413.
pl. 59.

Le Perruche a téte bleue, male, Le Vaill. Hist. des Perr., tom. i. pl. 24.

Trichoglossus hematodus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 289.

multicolor, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., tom. i. p. 553.

————— Swainsoni, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. iii. pl. 112.—Selb. Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. vi. Parrots, p. 153.
pl. 20.—Swain. Zool. Ill. 2nd Ser., vol. ii. pl. 92.—Ib. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 304.

Warrin, Aborigines of New South Wales.

 

 

 

Turs beautiful Lorikeet, so familiar to every ornithologist, has been for many years confounded with two
other nearly allied species, and hence has arisen an almost inexplicable mass of confusion respecting them ;
their true synonymies have, however, been most ably worked out by Mr. Swainson in a paper sent by him
to Sir William Jardine and Mr. Selby for insertion in their “ Illustrations of Ornithology,” wherein those
gentlemen, fully satisfied of the justness of Mr. Swainson’s observations, took an opportunity of naming this
species Swainsoni?, a tribute to the talents of that naturalist in which I most cordially participate.

The present bird, so far as is yet known, is almost exclusively an inhabitant of the south-eastern portion
of the Australian continent lying between South Australia and Moreton Bay, at least I have never heard
of its existence in any part westward of the former or northward of the latter. It also occurs in Van
Diemen’s Land, but its visits to that island do not appear to be either regular or frequent.

The flowers of the various species of Eucalypti furnish this bird with an abundant supply of food, and so
exclusively is it confined to the forests composed of those trees, that I do not recollect to have met with it
in any other. It also evinces a preference for those that are covered with newly expanded blossoms,
which afford them the greatest supply of nectarine juice and pollen, upon which they principally subsist.
However graphically it might be described, I scarcely believe it possible to convey an idea of the appearance
of a forest of flowering gums tenanted by several species of Zirchoglossi, Meliphagi, &c.; three or four
species being frequently seen on the same tree, and often simultaneously 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 trees for some other part of the forest, baffles all
description, and must be seen and heard to be fully comprehended. So intent are the F7ichoglosse for some
time after sunrise upon extracting their honey-food, 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 move to a neighbouring branch, where they again
recommence feeding with 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 upon an immense Eucalyptus, which was at least two hundred feet high. The blossoms of
this noble tree had attracted hundreds of birds, both Parrots and Honey-suckers; and from a single
branch I killed the four species of Zrichoglosse inhabiting the district, viz. 7. Swanson, chlorolemidotus,
concinnus and pusillus. I mention this fact in proof of the perfect harmony existing between these species
while feeding ; a night’s rest, however, and the taming effect of hunger, doubtless contributed much to this
harmonious feeling, as I observed that at other periods of the day they were not so friendly.

Although the 7. Swazinsoni is so numerous in New South Wales, I did not succeed in procuring its eggs ;
the natives informed me that they are two in number, and that they are deposited in the holes of the largest
Eucalypti, the period of incubation being from September to January.

Head, sides of the face and throat blue, with a lighter stripe down the centre of each feather ; across the
occiput a narrow band of greenish yellow ; all the upper surface green, blotched at the base of the neck
with scarlet and yellow; wings dark green on their outer webs; their inner webs black, crossed by a broad
tail green above, passing into blue on the tips of the two central feathers ;

 

 

oblique band of bright yellow ; a
under surface of the tail greenish yellow; chest crossed by a broad band, the centre of which is nich venue,
with a few of the feathers fringed with deep blue, and the sides being rich 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 tail-coverts rich yellow, with an oblong patch of
of each feather ; bill blood-red, with the extreme tip yellow; nostrils and bare

green at the extremity :
ing of dark brown next the

: As ish ore 1 wr
space round the eye brownish black ; irides reddish orange, with a narro

 

pupil ; feet olive.
The sexes resemble each other so closely
with certainty. :
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.

both in size and colouring that they cannot be distinguished