THE AMAZON PARROTS. 117 



13|in. ; wings, 7-J-in. to 8~in. ; tail, 4^in. to 4|in.). It is a 

 native of Southern Brazil and Paraguay. 



Prince von Wied, Natterer, Azara, and Burmeister have 

 written of this bird, and from their accounts we gather that 

 this species does not differ in its habits from the others. Mr. 

 Petermann, who has also observed them in their native country, 

 met with them several times in large, noisy swarms in the tall, 

 dense, primeval forests on the coast of St. Katherine, and has 

 also frequently kept them in cages. When excited they erect 

 the feathers on the back of the neck, and, so Mr. Petermann 

 writes, *•' their orange-red eyes gleam with uncontrollable 

 defiance ; yet they are not wicked, but gentle, and even old 

 ones, which have been lamed by a shot in flight, soon become 

 tame. In captivity they are extremely quiet, but cunning and 

 teachable ; yet they learn comparatively little, and do not even 

 speak distinctly. They must, in this respect, take secondary 

 rank among the Amazons." 



CHAP. XXXL— THE YELLOW-CHEEKED AMAZON. 



Psittacua autumnalis, L. 



Yellow-cheelced Amazon (Ger., Gelbwangige-Amazone, Herhst- 

 Ainazone, Herhspapagei, gelhwangiger KuTzfliigelpapagei ; 

 Fr., Ferroquet Amazone d joues jaunes ; Dut., Geelwang 

 Amazone Papegaai) — Distinguished from the Diademed 

 Amazon. 



The Yellow-cheeked Amazon, although long known, for it was 

 described and pictured by Edwards, and named by Linne, has, 

 even till the most modern times, been mistaken for, or confused 

 with, the Diademed Amazon, not only by the dealers, but also 

 by ornithologists ; and this is even still the case. The band on 

 the forehead and the lores is scarlet ; the top of the head 

 green, each feather having a bluish-lilac tip (sometimes appear- 

 ing deep blue) ; the cheeks are grass-green ; the spot on the 

 cheeks a high-coloured reddish-yellow ; the feathers of the 

 neck grass-green, finely edged with black ; the central spot of 

 the wing scarlet ; the outer web of the secondaries red ; the 



