THE MACAWS. 189 



CHAP. LXXIII.— THE MILITAEY MACAW. 



Psittacus Hiilitaris, L. 



Green Macaiv (Ger., Soldatenarara, rothstirniger Arara, grosser 

 griiner Arara, audi militdrischer Arara; Fr., Ara militaire ; 

 Dut., Groene Itoodvoorhoofd Aixt) — Description — Habitat — 

 Talking Capacity — Domestic Character. 



The popular name, which is also contained in the Latin appella- 

 tion given by Linne, is probably due to the peculiar purplish- 

 brown stripes on the cheeks of this bird, bearing some resem- 

 blance to a pointed moustache, as well as to its brilliant plumage. 

 It is said to have been mentioned by Garcilasso de la Vega as 

 early as 1609, and was well described and drawn by Edwards 

 in 1747. 



It is scarlet on the forehead and front of the head ; the top 

 and back of the head are grass-green ; the shoulders of pale 

 yellowish olive-green ; the hinder part of the back, the rump, 

 and the upper coverts of the tail sky-blue ; the quills dark 

 blue, olive green on the inner web, and on the reverse side 

 wholly olive-greenish yellow ; the coverts of the primaries and 

 secondaries and the bend of the wing dark blue ; the small 

 under coverts of the wing green, the largest olive-greenish yellow ; 

 the tail copper-brown, the inner webs edged with olive-yellow, 

 about one third towards the tip blue ; the two outermost 

 feathers quite blue, and the reverse side of all tail-feathers 

 olive-greenish yellow ; all the rest of the body above and below 

 olive-green ; the under coverts of the tail blue ; the beak black ; 

 eyes greyish-yellow ; the bare cheeks are flesh-coloured, with 

 four narrow stripes of purple-brown feathers, which unite to one 

 spot at the under mandible. Medium size, much smaller than 

 the dark blue Arara (length, 24|-in. to oOjin. ; wings, 13|in. 

 to 16|in. ; tail, 12|in. to 16in.). 



It is a native of Bolivia as far as the north of Mexico, prin- 

 cipally in Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Central 

 America. It is found in the low-lying hot plains, as well as 

 in the Andes to an elevation of nearly 12,000ft., and some- 

 times also in the West Indies and Jamaica, when on its 

 migrations. 



Buffon gives no further particulars of it^ but Bechstein saw it, 



