uncommon bird in the countries it inhabits; but, from its small

) discover and to obtain. Beccari says that, if one can discover their
According to him they have the habit of climbing up the trunks of
them alive inside the hollow trees, where it seems that

obtained from a native a living bird, which after

“Nasiterna pygme@a seems to be not avery
size and green coloration, it is difficult tc
bowers, it is not hard to catch them.

the trees; he says also that the natives
I have heard from D’Albertis that he once

often catch

they nest.
some time succeeded in escaping.

“Tt was likewise reported to Mr. Wallace by his assist
e South-American Psittacule.”
as follows: —‘“‘I got this bird only near the foot of the Arfak Mountains
There this lovely little

ant, Mr. Allen, that this Pygmy Parrot nests in hollow

trees, and lays eggs like those of th

Dr. Meyer has written me a note
in New Guinea, where, at Andai, I procured specimens in the middle of the day.
Parrot was sleeping on the lower branches of the trees, and could be whipped off with a stick. This is also

the case with other Parrots which are allied to the Cacatua group. I may mention Cyclopsitta lunulata, from

the Philippine Islands, the individuals of which species sleep in the middle of the hot tropical day in rows,
under the shade of the foliage, when one after another can be shot dow
to fly away. It may be imagined how soundly they sleep when the noise of th
At other times of the day it is difficult to procure, as it lives in the high

n without the survivors attempting

e shot does not disturb them ;

and it is the same with Maseterna.
trees, where its small size and green plumage form a sufficient protection.”

The following description of the species has also been given to me by Count Salvadori :—

« Adult male. Green, the underparts lighter; pileum yellowish, faintly tinged with reddish towards the
forehead ; cheeks brown; middle of the abdomen red ; under tail-coverts yellow, the lateral ones tinged with
green; two middle tail-feathers blue, the lateral ones black, edged externally with green, the three outer
tail-feathers with a yellow spot at the tip of the inner web. :

“Female and young male. Differs from the adult male in wanting the red colour on the middle of the
underparts, which are yellowish green. Total Jength 3:1 inches, wing 2°3, tail 1-0, culmen 0°4.”

The figures are of the size of life.