108 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



CHAP. XXIII.— THE FESTIVE AMAZON. 



Psittacus festivus, L. 



Festive Amazon (Ger., Blauhart, hlauhdrtige Amazone, rotJi- 

 riichiger Amazonenpapagei, rotliriickige Amazone, blaukinniger 

 Kurzflugelpapagei ; Fr., Perroquet Amazone a dos rouge, 

 Perroquet Tavoua ; Dut., Blauwkeel Amazone Papegaai) — 

 Character as a Talker — Natural Characteristics. 



This parrot, known since Linne wrote of it, has been much 

 praised by older authors, especially by Buffon, as a speaker 

 which is said even to surpass the Grey Parrot. Nevertheless, it 

 has also some very unpleasant characteristics, for it is treache- 

 rous and ill-tempered, and may bite even while being caressed. 

 More modern travellers also, such as Schomburgk, assert that it 

 is one of the most teachable parrots, speaks clearly, and learns 

 to pipe songs well. Observation has, however, convinced us 

 that these opinions are for the most part erroneous. All parrots, 

 if badly trained, manifest treacherous, cunning ways, and among 

 all the Amazons yet imported this one is decidedly wanting in 

 talent for speaking. 



The band on the forehead and the lores are blood-red ; eye- 

 brows and temple stripes light blue ; a broad green spot on the 

 top of the head ; back of the head, as far as nape of neck, 

 blue ; sides of the head green ; hinder part of the back and the 

 rump scarlet ; no central spot on wing ; coverts of primaries, 

 and bend of the wing, dark-blue ; only the outermost tail feather 

 on each side has a red base ; all the upper parts of the body dark 

 grass-green ; the lower parts somewhat lighter ; throat blue ; 

 lower coverts of the tail yellow-green ; beak pale flesh-colour ; 

 cere blackish ; eyes brown, inclining to carmine, with dark- 

 brown rings round the iris ; eye cere whitish-grey ; feet greyish- 

 white, or brownish horn-grey ; claws brown-black. (In many 

 the hinder part of the back, the rump, and tail, are uni- 

 formly green. It has not yet been ascertained whether this 

 is the plumage of the female or of the young bird. The red 

 lores are also sometimes absent, and the green spot on the top 

 of the head extends more or less ; the back of the head as far 

 as the neck is blue). Size, about that of a crow (length, 14|in.; 



