Trichogloasinae.

Distinguishing Maries - Habitat - Life in Freedom - Importation - Management - Talking Capacity.

The Lories and Lorikeets constitute a sub-division among the parrots which differs greatly in character and peculiarities, as well as in the nature of its food, from all others of this family. In the first place, they strike us as the most splendid in colour and brilliancy, and as being specially pleasing in shape; next, they unite a curiously clever and pert manner with odd, hasty, violent movements; and, further, they show general irritability and have a shrill harsh cry.

The following distinguishing marks may be mentioned as common to the two genera which here come under our notice - the Broad-tailed, or True Lories (Domicella, Wgl.), and the Sharp-tailed Lories, or Lorikeets (Trichoglossus, Vgrs.): Beak compressed at the sides; socket edge rising up in a slanting direction; the inner point of the beak without the filelike ridge which is found in almost all other parrots; but the special distinction is the brush-like tongue, or rather the tongue furnished with papillae.

It is found in Australia and the surrounding islands, the Indian Archipelago (not, however, including the Sunda Islands), and Polynesia.

In accordance with the peculiar form of its tongue, it subsists on sweet juicy fruits and other soft parts of plants, the honey of flowers, and, without doubt, on animal food, insects, shell-less animals, etc. Stone fruits and all sorts of nuts must be difficult, if not impossible, for them to eat, on account of the form of the beak, but especially in the absence of the file-like edge; many species, however, eat mealy or oily seeds, at least when in captivity. As yet but little inquiry has been made into their habits. Of course, it is clearly shown by their food that they are tree birds. They live, as far as we know, gregariously, sometimes in flocks consisting of several varieties. They present a splendid sight in their variegated plumage while scrambling about in a blossoming gum-tree. Their flight is rapid and skilful; on the branches they run and hop more than they climb; on the ground they move oddly, sideways, hopping, nodding, and making other comical gestures. Many species are said to build their nests, in company, in the hollows of gum-trees. Travellers have given little or no account of their habits in breeding. Although the lories scarcely occasion any harm worth mentioning to the crops, or, at any rate, to the more valuable fruits, and though, moreover, their flesh is not agreeable, yet they have been greatly pursued of late years, for which reason, and on account of the felling of the gum-trees, they are in great part driven back, like the cockatoos, etc, from the inhabited districts. Formerly the natives killed them in order to ornament themselves with their heads, which they strung in rows, and the settlers shot them occasionally for the sake of their brilliant plumage; they were also taken from the nest in small numbers, reared by hand, and brought to market. Now, however, they are taken in nets in whole flocks for export to Europe. They are also frequently kept as cage birds in their native countries, especially in India, and frequently chained to a ring made of cocoanut shell or buffalo horn, and they are often found to have such a ring attached to the foot when they arrive here.

The importation is now rapidly increasing, and, as may easily be supposed, these beautiful and interesting birds have many admirers. Unfortunately, there are serious hindrances to their more general adoption as pets; on the one hand is their high price, and, on the other, their real or supposed delicacy of habit, so that, in fact, only enthusiastic fanciers, who do not scruple to provide a troublesome and expensive diet, can keep them. Until a short time ago it was not thought possible to preserve them alive for any length of time; but experience has shown this notion to be erroneous. Within the last ten years or less, at least one species, the Blue Mountain Lory, has been acclimatised in many aviaries, and bred through several generations. Similarly, numerous other species have proved themselves very hardy in captivity if managed properly, and these have been of the species which do not become accustomed to seeds, but which subsist solely on fruit and soft food.

Mr. Scheuba, head master of the Grammar School at Olmutz, ranks high among the connoisseurs and judges who have observed lories, and to him chiefly we are indebted for valuable information as to the peculiarities of this bird and advice as to its management. I will, therefore, first quote from his works :

The delicacy of the lories, or rather the opinion that all the bristle-tongued parrots are exceedingly delicate, is due to the fact that these birds are nearly always treated ignorantly, and that they are, as a rule, accustomed to a food (i.e., boiled rice) which may perhaps be suitable to them in hot countries, but which in our climate is only too hurtful. It contains little nourishment, so that the birds have to eat great quantities of it, and thereby incur disorders of the digestion; at the same time it soon becomes sour, and, given cold, the abundance of the pap chills the stomach; when, in addition to this, the other food given on the voyage - soaked sago, bananas, and other tropical fruit - fails, and our northerly kinds are given instead, fresh diseases are contracted by the already sickly bird. Since I have replaced the rice with more suitable food I have found, after several years' experience, that the lories, on the whole, and without the exception of any species, are not delicate, and especially when they arrive healthy, and have been fed during the voyage on stale moistened and then well-squeezed wheaten bread (for example, breakfast roll or Viennese bread). Good egg-bread also is wholesome, but must only be given in moderate quantities; children's biscuits or rusks (but baked without potash) are preferable. These articles must not be given soaked or moistened in milk - not that in itself cows' milk is injurious to lories, but it often happens that the cattle are fed on flatulent food, such as the refuse of cabbage and turnips, etc, and then the milk may be very injurious. Hence lories may only be considered as likely to live if they take hemp and canary seed as their chief food. For the Broad-tailed Lories, which are difficult to habituate to seed, I have mixed crushed hemp with the moistened roll, and thus accustomed them to a seed diet.

All brush-tongued parrots are accustomed to seeds the more easily as they are taken young. The experienced animal dealer, Fluck, of Vienna, says that, as long as lories are accustomed only to soft food, they manifest a habit which makes them unendurable to an amateur - hanging on the wires of the cage, they eject fluid excretions so as to make the room filthy. But Scheuba says that this only happens occasionally, as, for instance, after large quantities of soft food have been taken, such as moistened roll or soft fruit, and that it ceases as the bird becomes accustomed to seeds. As a wholesome food he recommends maize boiled according to the directions given on page 29, five or six grains to be given daily to each bird; but better, in my opinion, is fresh milky maize, though, of course, this can only be obtained for a short season, also oats, canary seed, millet, and grass seeds in fresh ears. Good soft fruits are absolutely necessary for all lories, and Scheuba gives pieces of the best figs; but I consider good fully ripe cherries, pears, apples or grapes, according to the season, as healthier, especially sound, carefully-picked mountain ash or service berries. As a green food, Scheuba recommends pine twigs and fresh ears of corn, but willow twigs and the juicy stalks of the wild vine may also be given; for the winter I recommend tradescantia occasionally. Scheuba gives all his lories, once or twice a week, a drink of sugar and water; in case of sickness he gives it several times a day. He keeps the East Indian species in a temperature of 65deg. to 70deg. F., and the Australian birds keep well in 58deg. to 60deg.; but heed must always be taken lest the air be too dry, and, therefore, a vessel with water should be placed on the cage, or a large wet sponge hung above it. It is said to be better to surround the cage with large leafy plants, which ought to be kept very damp; but these must be so arranged that the lories can never eat the leaves. Every two or three weeks Scheuba syringes his lories with rum and water (1 part to 4) or white wine and water (1 part to 3), but both must be of the best quality. They also like to bathe themselves, but are not so eager in this respect as other parrots; they like it best when they can upset the bath, and then roll about in the wet sand. Draughts and cold must be carefully avoided after the bath. Dangerous influences, such as tobacco smoke, or touching the feeding vessels with fingers soiled with snuff, etc, are more injurious to lories than to any other kind of parrot. In truth, not merely judicious but also affectionate treatment is necessary to their well-being. Excitement or terror, pining for a caretaker, or grief at neglect, may cause sickness or even death. Some of them must certainly be considered bad screamers, but, like other parrots, as soon as they make some progress in training they gradually cease their cry.

"As regards their talent for speech," writes Mr. Scheuba, "the most contradictory opinions prevail. One says the Black-bonnet Lory is almost incapable of being taught, another says the same of the Ceram Lory, and a third of the Lady Lory, and so on; in my opinion, considering the great talent of all the species, even of the smaller ones, such as the Ornamental Lory, etc, the development depends on the method used at the beginning and on the idiosyncrasy of the bird. This, I can perceive, for example, in a striking manner in the case of my two Blue-breasted Lories, for whereas the older never utters a sound which even faintly resembles a word, the other, which is certainly a very young bird, goes on chattering all sorts of things. Anyone wishing to teach a lory to speak must keep it separate, away from the allurements and cries of others. Difference of sex, in respect of speech, is certainly unimportant. In my opinion, the lories, at least the larger species, are not surpassed by any other parrots in capability for training and teaching. It cannot be denied that there are among them some birds which are morose and impracticable, nor that they may be completely spoiled by ill-judged treatment, and made ill-tempered, self-willed, and obstinate." The old writers, even Seba, as early as the year 1734, then Edwards, and Buffon down to Bechstein, speak highly of some species as speakers, and this is confirmed by the traveller, Dr. A. B. Meyer, who observed them in their natural haunts, and who adds that they may be reckoned among our best talking parrots, only they need long and tiresome training, and one must constantly notice them.

In addition to the commendable qualities already mentioned, Mr. Scheuba speaks of their comical play and wrestling, when first one and then another lies on its back and tries to drive away the other with beak and feet; also of their slim, pretty forms, and the total harmlessness of their bites in comparison with those of many species, and especially of the large parrots. He thinks that they must continue to attract admirers in increasing numbers.