218 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



may often be seen in flocks of from thirty to forty flying about 

 a village, and tbey nest in the trees which stand in the open 

 spaces around the huts. 



The Yellow Conure was first placed in the London Zoological 

 Gardens in 1862, and then but one specimen was procurable. 

 It only appears occasionally in our bird shops and exhibitions. 

 I once saw in Berlin, in the possession of a secondhand dealer, 

 a bird of this species which had been for a length of time in 

 the house of a private family. It was exceedingly tame and 

 chattered some words most charmingly. 



CHAP. XCIL— THE GOLDEN-CROWNED CONUEE. 



Psittaeus aureus, Gml. 



Half-moon Parralx:eet (Ger., Orangestirniger Keilschiuanzsittich, 

 HalhmondsitticJi, Goldstirnsittich, Goldstirne ; Fr., Perruche 

 houton d'or, Perruche a front jaune, Perruche couronnee; 

 Dut., Halve-macui Parlciet of Oranjevoorhoofd Parkiet) — De- 

 scription — Habitat — Familiarhj Known — Value as a Speaker. 



A SLENDER, pretty parrakeet, which appears to us a charming 

 creature, though the peculiar dull character of the Conures 

 makes it seem less engaging than it really is. 



The Half-moon Parrakeet is marked in the following manner : 

 Forehead, front of the head, and eye cere, orange-yellow, 

 inclining to a deep orange-red ; the lores and the middle 

 of the head a dull blue; the back of the head and the 

 part round the eye and ear green, fading to a bluish shade ; all 

 the rest of the upper part of the body grass-green, with a 

 yellowish tinge ; the hinder part of the back and the rump a 

 clear yellowish-green; the wings green, the tips black, with a blue 

 spot on the outer web, and a greyish-yellow edge on the inner 

 web, the reverse side a shining yellowish-grey ; the small under 

 coverts of the wing greenish-yellow ; the reverse side of the tail 

 blackish-grey ; the cheeks and throat a grey brownish-green, 

 inclining to a brownish-yellow grey ; the lower part of the 

 throat and all the rest of the under parts of the body greenish- 

 yellow, inclining to orange-yellow on the breast and the middle 



