PSITTACI: PARROTS. 



495 



charactors affonled by the carotid arteries aud ambiens muscle. 1. Pal.eornithid.«; : Carotids 

 two (except in Cacatua), the h'ft uonual, and no ambiens. II. Psittacid.ic : Carotids two, 

 the left superficial, tlie ambiens present in one series of genera, absent in others. In the sub- 

 family (1) Palaornithince, there is no further deviation ; in (2) Cacatuina, besides the lack of 

 a right carotid in Cacatua itself, the orbital ring is completely ossified, and develops a bony 

 process bridging in the temj)oral fossa ; in (;i) Stringopmce, which includes the curious flightless 

 ground Parrot or owl Parrot of New Zealand (Stringojis habroptilus) , thefurculum and sternal 

 keel are deficient or defective. Psittacidce include (4) the Arina, in which the ambiens muscle 



ummfiT 



Fig. 347. — Carolina Parroquet, J nat 



(From BreLiu, after Audubon.) 



is present ; (5) Pyrrhurirue, in which it is absent, without further modification ; (G) Platy- 

 cerciruB, no ambiens and no furculum ; (7) Chrysotina, no ambiens, no furculum, and no oil- 

 gland. There are thus 7 subfamilies of 2 families of Psittaci. 



"Parrots abound in all tropical countries, but, except in Australia and New Zealand, 

 rarely extend into the temperate zone. The Indian and Ethiopian regions are poor in parrots, 

 while the Australian is the richest, containing many genera and even whole families peculiar 

 to it." (Newton.) The highest authority, Finsch, recognizes 354 species as well deter- 

 mined, distributing them in 26 genera; 142 are American, 23 African, and 18 Asiatic; the 

 Moluccas and New Guinea have 83, Australia 59, and Polynesia 29. 



