THE AMAZON PARROTS. 115 



CHAP. XXIX.— THE EED-MASKED AMAZON. 



PsittacuB brasiliensis, L. 



Red-mashed Amazon (Ger., Rothmasken-Amazone, Rothmasldrter 

 Kurzfiilgelpaj^agei ; Fr., Perroquet Amazone a masque rouge; 

 Dat., Roodmasher Amazone Papegaai) — Description. 



This Amazon, which belongs to the larger species, is also among 

 the most interesting. It is one of those described by Edwards, 

 and named by Linne ; yet the older writers have given no 

 further information concerning it, and all knowledge of its 

 habits, indeed of its native land, was wanting until recently. 



It is scarlet on the forehead and top of the head (the lores 

 and sides of the forehead a dull scarlet ; the middle of the fore- 

 head and front of the head pale-red, with a yellowish-green 

 lustre) ; the cheeks and the space round the ear are of a 

 bluish-red (the streak above the eye and near the ear is of a 

 cornflower-blue) ; the back of the head and neck green (each 

 feather having a red spot in the centre) ; the primaries and 

 secondaries more or less yellow on the outer web ; the final 

 half of the tail feathers scarlet, with greenish-yellow tips ; the 

 two centre ones without red ; all the upper part of the body 

 grass-green, the feathers having no dark edges (yet the upper 

 coverts of the wings and shoulders have a bright blackish-blue 

 lustre ; the back, rump, and upper tail coverts are pure 

 green) ; all the lower part of the body is yellowish-green ; 

 the upper part of the throat is bluish-red ; the beak brownish 

 horn-grey, with a lighter ridge, a blackish point, and a yel- 

 lowish-grey spot on either side of the upper mandible ; the 

 lower beak is a yellowish horn-grey ; skin on the nose grey ; 

 eyes brown, with an orange-red ring (sometimes it is dark-blue) ; 

 the eye cere grey-blue ; feet grey ; claws black. The blackish- 

 blue lustre may be considered as the special mark for recog- 

 nition. Size, almost as large as a raven (length, 15|in. to 

 17|in. ; wings, 8|in. to 9|in. ; tail, 4 Jin. to 5|in.). It has 

 lately been proved to be a native of Southern Brazil. 



In the year 1828 there was a Eed-masked Amazon in the 

 collection of living birds belonging to the Emperor of Austria, 

 in Schonbrunn. Several decades later Count Hollstein brought 

 another with him from his travels in Brazil, which then passed 

 into the possession of Mr. Karl Hagenbeck, and was shown at 



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