98 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



of the head, cheeks, and throat, yellow ; shoulders, the central 

 spot on the wings, and the base of the tail feathers, red ; 

 all the feathers of the upper parts green, with a distinct 

 dark tip ; the lesser and greater coverts of the wings striped 

 with greenish yellow ; all the lower body light green ; on 

 the breast and belly each feather has a narrow greenish tip, 

 yellowish towards the leg ; beak uniformly brownish-black, 

 inclining to black ; cere black ; eyes varying from yellow to 

 orange-red ; the eye cere bluish ; the feet bluish-grey ; the 

 claws black. The difference between the sexes has not yet 

 been determined with certainty. The plumage of the young 

 birds is duller in colour. Size, about that of a crow (length, 

 from 14^in. to 16;Jin.; wings, from 8in. to Bfin.; tail, from 4|-in. 

 to 5g-in.). There are numerous varieties in colour, in some 

 of which the blue and yellow on the head extends more or less, 

 or in which one or the other is wanting entirely ; the red on the 

 shoulder may be smaller or larger, sometimes yellowish-red, 

 inclining to yellow ; indeed, there are Amazons all yellow, but 

 these are certainly rare. 



This Amazon is a native of the south of South America, 

 Brazil, and Paraguay, as far as the Amazon river. Although 

 it is the most numerous and common species, yet of its life in 

 freedom but little as yet is known ; on the whole, the remarks 

 made in the general description of the Amazons, page 93, 

 apply to this. 



They are most highly prized by the natives, because they 

 are said to be the best suited for training. They are, therefore, 

 met with everywhere among the Indians, and of all species are 

 brought in the greatest numbers to market. With us also they 

 are considered by bird fanciers as very valuable. There are 

 examples of astonishingly gifted Amazons, not only in capa- 

 bility for learning to speak, but also in learning to sing songs, 

 or piping in three or four different ways, and being surprisingly 

 teachable. As among all the best speaking species, there are 

 some to be found which will learn little or nothing ; but these 

 must by no means be considered as worthless. 



The purchase of an Amazon, even more than of any other kind 

 of parrot, is a matter of chance ; and I would again call atten- 

 tion to the advice given on pages 12 et seq. Most of the Amazons 

 arrive by the great steamships which ply regularly between 

 Brazil, other parts of South America, and Europe, and may be 

 had in the market from all the wholesale and retail dealers. 



