THE SMALL-BILLED PAREAKEETS. 229 



CHAP. XOVI.— THE SMALL-BILLED PAREAKEETS. 



Brotogerys, Vgrs. 



Distinguishing Marks — Descrij^tion — Natural History — Character 

 in Confinement. 



Anyone who has kept these little parrots — which are about the 

 size of a finch or a thrush — and knows them thoroughly, will 

 probably wonder why the ornithologist. Vigors, gave them a 

 Greek name signifying ''gifted with human voice." Several 

 species certainly have proved themselves capable of pronounc- 

 ing words, but their talent in this respect is so very small 

 that they can only be allowed the lowest position among the 

 feathered speakers. On the other hand, they are mostly prettily 

 coloured, attractive in their appearance, and amusing in their 

 habits ; they become exceedingly tame and familiar, though 

 never really affectionate and gentle, and always remain un- 

 commonly disagreeable screamers. 



Finsch gives the following as their distinguishing marks : 

 JBeak, rather long, slender, much compressed at the sides, with a 

 rsharp ridge, long, thin, sharply bent downwards at the point, 

 •and with a deep indentation ; the tongue thick, fleshy, blunt 

 pointed; the nostrils, round and uncovered, set in broad un- 

 feathered cere ; the lores feathered ; the eye cere bare ; the 

 wings long and pointed ; the tail wedge-shaped, all feathers 

 Tounded at the point ; the feet rather slender, with a short leg ; 

 the plumage soft and full. Both sexes are said to be alike in 

 colour. They are natives of South America throughout its 

 whole extent, and some varieties also of Central America. 



We have but little knowledge of their mode of life in 

 freedom. They live gregariously and are of amiable dispo- 

 sition. It is not known whether, like their before-mentioned 

 congeners, they build their nests together in numerous couples, 

 but it is very unlikely. Their movements are in a degree 

 clumsy ; they fly rapidly, but not skilfully, climb rather 

 awkwardly, and trip clumsily on the ground. They are said 

 to live on all kinds of seeds, fruits, berries, and other vege- 

 table substances, and often to do great damage to the crops 

 of maize, rice, fruit, &c. The nest stands, as is the case 

 with other parrots, in a hollow of a tree, and the brood con- 

 sists of from two to four. 



Like some other parrots, also, they are much esteemed in their 



