100 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



CHAP. XVIL— LEVAILLANT'S AMAZON. 



Psittacus Levaillanti, Gr. 



Douhle-fronted Amazon (Ger., Grosser oder dojypelter GelhJcopfr 

 grosse gelbhopfige Amazone, Levaillant's Amazonenpapagei, 

 Levaillant's Kurzflilgelpapagei ; Fr., Perroquet Amazone de 

 Levaillant, Perroquet a tete jaune ; Dut., Dubhele Geelkop 

 Papegaai) — Its Rank as a Talker — Physical Characteristics — 

 Power of Apprehension. 



Many of the admirers of speaking parrots esteem the Double- 

 fronted Amazon more highly than all others, and consider, 

 indeed, that in every respect it excels even the Grey Parrot. 

 Such an assertion must not, however, be allowed to pass 

 unchallenged, for no one can with certainty say of any species 

 that it is absolutely the best. If one considers the extraordinary 

 gradations and manifold capabilities of different individuals of 

 the same species, one is astonished at the diversity of their 

 talents, and is convinced that these may be repeated in any of the 

 species, rendering comparison with one another very difficult, if 

 not impossible. I, therefore, emphatically protest against pro- 

 nouncing a decided judgment on any variety, or even arranging 

 the individuals in a settled order of merit. Of course, it may 

 be asserted that one species belongs to the more gifted and 

 another to the less gifted species, but this is, in fact, all, and 

 beyond this, in truth, none can go. Without doubt, the great 

 Double-fronted Amazon takes high rank as a speaker, but we 

 certainly are not justified in pronouncing it to be the best 

 of all. 



It is whitish-yellow on the forehead and about the beak; 

 the rest of the head, neck, and throat is sulphur-yellow ; 

 shoulder, central spot on the wing, and the inner webs of the 

 four outermost tail feathers at the base, bright scarlet; the 

 upper parts of the body dark-green ; the lower parts light- 

 green ; none of the feathers have a dark edge ; about the leg 

 the colour is yellow ; the beak yellowish-white ; the cere almost 

 pure white ; the eyes vary from yellowish-brown to brownish- 

 red, with a yellow or grey circle round the pupil; the eye 

 cere bluish-white, often yellow-grey ; feet whitish-blue ; claws 

 grey. The difference between the sexes is not yet known. 

 The plumage of the young birds is yellow only on the forehead. 



