THE SMALL-BILLED PARRAKEETS. 233 



grass-green ; the primaries are dark blue along the middle of 

 shaft and broad grey-black on the inner web ; in the secon- 

 daries the greyish-black decreases in extent, and the other wing 

 feathers are uniformly green ; all on the reverse side dull 

 green ; the coverts of the primaries dark blue ; the edge of the 

 wing yellowish -green, and the small under coverts greenish- 

 yellow ; the outermost tail feathers are yellowish-green on the 

 inner web, and all are of blackish-green on the reverse side ; the 

 cheeks and all the under parts of the body are of a light grass- 

 green ; the beak reddish flesh-colour, the point almost white ; 

 the cere greyish-green ; the wings almost pure green ; the 

 coverts of the wing brownish-green. The size is that of a 

 thrush (length, lO^in. ; wings, A^in. to 4fin. ; tail, 4in. to 

 4fin.). 



Its home extends from the east of Brazil to Guiana. The 

 travellers, Natterer, Prince von Wied, Schomburgk, Burmeister, 

 Karl Euler, and, more recently, Karl Petermann, have written 

 of its life in freedom. It is common in the forest districts along 

 the coast of Brazil, but is also found throughout that country, 

 and where the forest borders on the plantations one frequently 

 sees enormously large flocks of various species of Conures, and 

 among them the Small-billed Parrakeets. Each species keeps 

 separate in the vast host ; but the shrill cry of the All-green 

 Parrakeet can be heard distinctly amid all the noise made 

 by the multitude. On account of the harm they do to the 

 maize and other crops, they are habitually shot. Many species 

 are said to be delicious eating, yet, on the whole, they are not 

 very highly esteemed as game. In recent times these birds 

 have become an important article of commerce, and are, there- 

 fore, caught in many ways. Until a short time ago, and as is 

 even now the case in some places, they were so unsuspecting 

 that a whole flock could be taken at one time in the manner 

 described on p. 230. Where they have become more cautious, 

 they are caught in nets, (fee, at the drinking places. 



The first wholesale importation to Germany was by Mr. 

 William Schluter, who sent several hundred pairs to Mr. H. 

 Schliiter, naturalist, of Halle, most of which were forthwith 

 brought into the market chiefly through the agency of K. 

 Gudera, bird dealei, at that time in Leipzig. Since then these 

 Small-billed Parrakeets have reached Europe in greater or less 

 numbers. Unfortunately, they are usually treated most impro- 

 perly on the voyage, being fed with crushed maize, or bread 



