224 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



fortunately, in spite of many attempts, they have not been bred 

 with any success. They are, however, extremely amusing, 

 and become much more rapidly tame and gentle than their 

 congeners above mentioned, and may be accustomed to fly about 

 freely in the garden or courtyard, returning to perch on the hand 

 when called. The Baroness von Schlechta praises the Brown- 

 throated Conure as being " an affectionate and merry bird, which 

 has often cheered me with its simple song, and cried out in a 

 very amusing manner, clawing its beak with its foot, 'Pretty 

 Poll ! pretty Poll ! there, there ! there, there !' In other respects 

 it was very clever, but often very wild." Another specimen was 

 more gentle. When these parrakeets have become tame after 

 the manner described, and have been taught to speak, they 

 seldom, if ever, utter their disagreeable cry. For this purpose 

 it is, of course, necessary to obtain birds as young as possible. 



CHAP. XCIV.— THE BOLBORRHYNOHI OR THICK- 

 BILLED PARRAKEETS. 



Bolborrhynchus, Bp. 



Distinguish ing MarJcs — Food. 



The Bolborrhynchi are a genus of parrots consisting of com- 

 paratively few species, of which only one is common in the 

 market, while the others are but rarely imported alive. The first- 

 mentioned variety must, however, be reckoned among the speak- 

 ing parrots. The Thick-billed Parrakeets are distinguished from 

 alHed genera by the following marks : Beak powerful, thick, and 

 short, bulging out at the sides, with a rounded ridge without 

 the longitudinal furrow ; the upper mandible has a short, broad, 

 blunt point, with slight indentation ; the lower mandible is 

 deep, with broad socket-edge rounded off ; the nostrils small, 

 uncovered, with puffy edges, only in exceptional cases covered by 

 the feathers of the forehead; the lores feathered; the eye cere 

 is hardly noticeable ; the feet are short and strong ; the wings 

 long ; the quills pointed ; the tail feathers decreasing gradually 

 towards the middle of the tail in shape of a wedge ; the 

 plumage soft. The colouring has little brilliancy. Its size (not 

 including the long tail) varies from that of a starling to a thrush. 



