Psittacus ruber, Gml.

Moluccan Lory (Ger., Scharlachrother Lori, bios rother Lori, Blau-schulteriger Breitscliwanzlori; Fr., Perruche Lori rouge, Lori rouge; Dut., Roode Loeri) - Description - Talking Capacity.

The Red Lory, as it is usually called, was first described by Brisson in 1760, and was named by Gmelin. S. Miiller (1776) describes the pleasure he took in watching these beautiful red birds clambering about the trees while they ate the fruit and screamed incessantly.

This lory is of a brilliant scarlet; the first four quills are black on the outer web, the rest increase gradually in redness, the last three or four are dark blue, red at the base, and rose colour underneath; there are two indistinct black transverse bands across the wing; the hindermost covert feathers on each side of the back form a large blue spot; the tail is a dull purplish-brown, duller on the reverse side; the under coverts of the tail and a large spot behind the thigh brilliant blue; the beak yellowish-red; cere blackish-grey; eyes brown to yellowish-red; featherless skin blackish; feet blackish-grey; claws black. It is a native of the Moluccas, but it is not found on the Aroo Islands. Wallace saw it often in Amboyna, where it is found in large numbers on the blossoming trees, sucking the honey from the flowers.

Mr. Scheuba gives the following interesting description of the species : "One Red Lory is quite unparalleled in speaking talent; at the same time, it is extremely tame, affectionate, and gentle, kisses, and takes especial pleasure in being brought to me in bed in the morning, here tumbling about with delight and revelling in various antics. Moreover, it is very active, and cannot bear to be long in one place; thus, it climbs all about my body, then jumps on the table, tears a bit of paper to pieces, or runs down the leg of my trousers to the ground, hops away, and then returns just as quickly to mount again. In the cage it often lies on its back, and, with feet and beak, plays with bits of wood, which it tears to fine shreds. It speaks with a feminine voice of high pitch, hurriedly and quickly, often for more than a quarter of an hour at a time; frequently with a voice which suddenly changes, as if two persons spoke together, but then it sounds as if one heard it from a distance, and only a few words can be understood. Otherwise, it speaks very distinctly and clearly many words and whole sentences. It has learnt all it knows from other speaking parrots, from someone talking to it, or from the other birds, during the cleaning of the cages and the giving of food. Nearly every day it chatters something fresh which it has picked up in this way; thus it talks nearly the whole day, but mostly in the evening, when its cage is covered. It can laugh in the most deceiving manner. If I go by night into the aviary to look after anything, and some bird wakens and cries, this one seldom joins in it, but calls out in an angry tone, 'Be still, you rascal! ' or, in a tone of astonishment, 'Well, what's the matter ?' In all this is displayed the talent and teachableness of the bird, and I could go on telling many tales about it - how it bites my finger as I take it back to the cage, and when I let the sliding door fall, runs away with a triumphant 'Ha! '; how well it can express pleasure or grief, longing or delight, etc. It eats the finest wheaten bread mixed with biscuit, boiled maize, service berries dried and then moistened, besides hemp seed, oats and wheat half ripe in the ear, figs, and other fruit; it also gets fresh pine shoots. If. it has eaten a great deal, it brings back the food, as if ruminating, in order to masticate it again comfortably,"

To the present time, the Red Lory is one of the rarest in the market. Dr. Platen brought over seven specimens.