104 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



The Yellow-shouldered Amazon may be distinguished according 

 to sex. The male is pale-yellow on the forehead and lores ; 

 the front and top of the head, cheeks, sides of the head, 

 round the ear, and the upper part of the throat, yellow ; the 

 shoulders are marked with a large yellow spot ; the central spot 

 on the wings scarlet ; the four outer tail feathers, with about 

 a third from the base of both webs, vermilion ; all the rest of 

 the upper body dark grass-green, each feather has a black edge, 

 only the upper covert of the tail is of a uniform yellow-green ; the 

 lower part is of a scarcely perceptible lighter green, each feather 

 having here also a dark edge ; about the leg the colour is yellow ; 

 the beak is horn-white, inclining to bluish-grey ; the cere greyish- 

 white ; the eyes dark-brown, yellowish-brown, or inclining to 

 reddish-yellow, with a red circle outside the iris ; the eye 

 cere white ; feet and claws whitish horn-grey. The female is 

 universally duller in colour, and round the lower beak, and 

 more or less on the cheeks, breast, and belly, of a cerulean 

 blue. The plumage of the young birds has also a cerulean 

 tinge, and this sometimes extends over the sides of the head 

 and the throat. In many old birds the green feathers on the 

 head, cheek, throat, neck, and shoulder are more or less yellow, 

 or mixed with orange colour. Size, about that of a jackdaw 

 ^length 12Mn. to IS^in. ; wings, Tin. to 8in. ; tail, ofin. to 4^in.). 



It has been well described by old writers, Brisson amongst 

 others, and Buffon gives a pleasing description of its cage-life ; 

 but many errors prevail respecting it. The little Yellow-headed 

 Amazon may be distinguished from all its fellows by its lesser 

 size, the dark edge on the feathers of upper and lower body, and 

 by the broad yellow shoulder. 



CHAP. XX.— THE MEALY AMAZON. 



Psittacus farinosus, Bdd. 

 Ileal?/ Amazon (Ger., Mullerpapagei, Midler oder Muller- 

 amazone, lueisshepuderter Amazonenpapagei, hereifter Kurz- 

 flilgelpapagei ; Fr., Perroquet Amazone p)Oudre'e, Meunier ; 

 Dut., Midler Amazone Papegaai) — Qualities as a Talker — 

 Physical Characteristics — Habitat. 



This is another favourite speaker ; it may decidedly be counted 

 among the most talented, and it shows itself at the same time 



