Trichoglossus, Vgrs. Description.

This family of magnificent and brilliant plumaged birds contains many species, yet up to the present it is only known to include two which are speakers; but these are to be accounted as the most interesting of all parrots, for they are distinguished in various ways; they are beautiful, peculiar, and affectionate in manner, healthy and hardy, and one of them has bred several times in captivity, and is, moreover, the only brood bird in the whole group of lories.

As, in all probability, other species may in course of time prove to be gifted with speech, it is proper that I should speak first of the Sharp-tailed Lories in general. They have the following distinguishing marks : The beak is usually as deep as it is long, compressed at the sides; the upper mandible has an angular ridge, an overhanging point, which gradually becomes narrower, and is hollowed out gently but distinctly; the lower mandible has a socket edge, which goes up in a slanting direction; the sharp edge is straight, not hollowed out; the tongue is thick and fleshy, with a spoon-like cavity on the upper side mear the point, and covered with flexible papillae capable of being extended; the nostrils are small, oval, and uncovered in the distinct narrow cere; the eyes are usually dark and bright, but proportionately small; the lores and the circle about the eye is feathered, only round the eye there is a narrow featherless rim; the feet are short, powerful, with thick toes, and much bent nails; the wings are long and pointed; the tail is wedge-shaped, broadly graduated, wide at the base, the feathers regularly decreasing in width and rounded at the point. The sexes do not differ at all in plumage, and the young birds but little; the body is slim, and about the size of a sparrow or jackdaw.

They are natives of Australia, Polynesia, New Guinea, the Moluccas, and Papua. They live gregariously, probably even in the breeding season, but when this time is past they assemble in exceedingly large flocks of the various species, and migrate or take to flight as birds of passage. They fly rapidly and skilfully, with deafening cries, alight upon the gum trees, and will not be driven away even by shots, only hurrying from one tree to another when alarmed. On account of the felling of the gum trees as cultivation advances, and the constant pursuit they are subjected to, they have already been greatly reduced in numbers, and driven back into the bush, and have become so shy and cautious as no longer to approach the settlements. On the ground they have an odd sidelong jump, but in trees they climb, or rather creep, rapidly among the branches. According to the observation of travellers, their food consists chiefly of the honey of flowers, and in the case of the three smallest species this is probably true; the larger species feed principally on seeds, with sweet fruit, as has been proved by those in captivity. They can hardly do harm to the crops; their life in freedom is otherwise scarcely known. Of late several species have been imported more frequently, inasmuch as they are caught by whole flocks in nets, at certain times, or when migrating, or at the drinking places, etc. The following species is a good representative of those kinds which come under notice in this country, and shall therefore be dealt with as fully as possible.