12-i THE SPEAKING PARROTS, 



CHAP. XXXVI.— THE MAITAKA PAEROT, OR 

 RED-VENTED PARROT. 



Psittacus menatruus, L. 



The Blue-headed Parrot (Ger., Blauhopf, fdlschlich hlaukOpfiger 

 Portoriko-papagei, Schwarzolirpapagei, Schwarzgeohrter Lang- 

 fiilgelpapagei, M ait aha ; Fr., Perroquet d tete hleue ; Dut., 

 Blauwkop Langvleugel Papegaai) — Distinguishing Marks — 

 Character as a Talker. 



This species, wliicli, as early as 17G4, was well depicted by 

 Edwards, and described by Linne, has, however, been con- 

 stantly confused with others, although it may always be distin- 

 guished from its congeners by its blue head, neck, and breast. 

 It is coloured as follows : A broad band of corn-flower blue 

 across the forehead ; the top of the head, neck, and back of the 

 neck covered as with blue and green scales ; the spot on the 

 ear black (but here also each feather is delicately tipped with 

 blue) ; the upper part of the back is olive-green : the hinder 

 part of the back, the rump, and the upper coverts of the tail, a 

 pure green ; all the quills and their coverts are green ; the 

 centre feathers of the tail green, blue at the point, the outer 

 webs blue, and the inner webs at the base red ; all the upper 

 part of the body a dark grass-green ; the coverts of the wings 

 are a yellow-brownish olive-green ; the cheeks, sides of the 

 head, and the upper part of the throat, blue ; the upper part of 

 the breast greenish-blue, with a red lustre ; the lower part of 

 the breast and the belly olive-green ; the under coverts of the 

 tail a dark purplish-red, with a green band and a blue spot at 

 the end ; the beak is a blackish-brown, with a red spot at the 

 base of the upper mandible (when old, also on the lower 

 mandible) ; the cere dark-grey ; the eyes grey, inclining to a 

 blackish-brown ; eye cere slate-grey ; feet whitish-grey, with 

 black scales and claws. The distinguishing marks of the female 

 are not known with certainty. The plumage of the young bird 

 is nearly uniformly green ; the forehead and top of the head are, 

 strange to say, red ; the throat and upper part of the breast 

 bluish ; the beak greyish-yellow, inclining to a reddish-orange. 

 About the size of a jackdaw (length, lOJin. ; wings, 6|in. to 

 7:^in.; tail, 2in. to 2|in.). According to Finsch, in any stage of 

 plumage it may be recognised by the rump and the upper 



