Psittacus Mulleri, Tmm.

The White-billed Parrot (Ger., Mullers Edelpapagei, Weiss-schnabelpapagei; Fr., Perroquet de Muller; Dut., Muller's Edelpapegaai, Molenaar) - Description.

This is the best known of the smaller Eclecti, for, although by no means frequent or numerous, yet it is occasionally imported.

It is grass-green; the head a pure and vivid green; the back of the neck and the upper part of the back is rather a yellowish olive-green; the middle and hinder part of the back and the rump marine blue, the upper coverts of the tail yellowish grass-green,; the inner web of the quills blackish; the outer web green, finely edged with yellow; the covert feathers the same; the smaller covert feathers at the bend of the wing and the upper coverts of the shoulder are broadly edged with blue; the feathers of the tail are grass-green above, edged with yellow, on the reverse side they are an olive-greenish yellow; all the under part of the body is olive-greenish yellow; the mandible coral-red or vermilion; eyes a pale-yellow, inclining to brown; the feet a greyish-yellow; claws blackish. The female is said to be alike, and only to be distinguished by its darker eyes. The young bird may be recognised by its white beak. The special marks are : The vivid olive-green yellow colour on the back of the neck, the fore part of the back, and the under part of the body; the blue on the hinder part of the back and rump, and the small blue covert feathers below the wing; the black marks on the bend of the wing and the upper coverts of the wing are wanting.

It is a native of Celebes, the Sulu Islands, and Sangir Islands. This species was exhibited in the Museum of Leyden, without mention of its native place; and in the year 1828 Dr. S. Muller procured one of them in the Island of Bouton, in the Strait of Malacca, where, as was afterwards proved, it never lives in freedom. In 1884 it was described and named by Temminck. Up to the present two varieties have been distinguished - the Bed-billed and the White-billed Muller's Eclectus. From the researches of Dr. Meyer, whose opinions are supported by Dr. Platen, the white-billed birds are the young ones. Of its habits in breeding nothing is known. It is said to build its nest in hollows in steep, inaccessible cliffs. Those Muller's Eclecti which come into the market are, therefore, mostly old birds. Dr. and Mrs. Platen brought over twenty head with them, but, unfortunately, these parrots not presenting an attractive appearance, received but little welcome from our breeders, and I never learnt whether anyone at that time was induced by my recommendation to make a trial of breeding; no results have, however, been obtained. It is occasionally kept as a cage bird. It then sits lazily still throughout the day, and, therefore, does not excite any great admiration in parrot lovers. We have no information as to its capacity for speech, but, for aught that is known, it may develop that talent well. We have, however, an example of its longevity, for a Muller's Eclectus, in Halber-stadt, attained the age of eighty-five years.