236 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



CHAP. C— THE YELLOW-AND-WHITE-WINGED 

 PAERAKEET. 



Psittacus virescens, Gml. 



The Yellow and White-ivinged Parraheet (Ger., Schmalschna- 

 belsittick mit gelber und weisser Flilgelhinde, ^oeissfli'igeliger 

 Schmalschnahelsittich, Weissschiuingensittich, Weissflilgel ; Fr., 

 Perruche Chiriri, Perruche a ailes blanches ; Dut., Chiriri 

 Parhiet) — Description — Habitat. 



All these Small-billed Parrakeets are extremely like eacli 

 other, and the marks by which they may be distinguished are 

 seldom very noticeable. Thus, the Yellow-and-white-winged 

 Parrakeet can only be recognised beside the Canary-winged by 

 observing that a white and a yellow band are visible at the same 

 time in the outspread wings. The former was described by 

 Brisson in 1760 and scientifically named by Gmelin in 1788, 

 therefore it must be reckoned among the earlier known species. 

 Buffon gives an account of its life in freedom, and even says 

 that this little parrakeet learns to speak well. 



The Yellow-and-white-winged Parrakeet is dark grass-green ; 

 the back has a shade of olive-green over it ; the first five quills 

 are green, bluish along the shaft, the inner web edged with 

 black ; the last four of the primaries and the secondaries are 

 white as far as the three last, also on the shafts ; the greater 

 dipper coverts of the wing sulphur-yellow, with white inner 

 webs, the lesser quite white ; the bend of the wing yellow ; the 

 tail green, the inner webs yellowish ; all the under parts of the 

 body a little lighter yellowish-green than the upper ; the beak 

 whitish horn-grey ; the cere white ; the eyes brown ; the feet 

 yellowish horn-grey. Size, nearly as large as the preceding 

 (length, 8f in. ; wings, 4Jin. to 4Jin. ; tail, o^in.). 



Its home extends from Paraguay to the north of Brazil, and it 

 is said to be common along the Amazon Eiver. Wallace saw it 

 in flights of several hundreds on the island of Mexicana at the 

 mouth of the Amazon. The species, however, has only been im- 

 ported alive since the year 1862, and it is still considered a rare 

 object in our bird markets. The assertion made by Dr. Finsch, 

 that it does not belong to the speaking parrots, has been in one 

 case controverted, for Mr. Hinz, a merchant at Konigsberg, 

 describes a Yellow-and-white-winged Parrakeet which he had 

 taught to say clearly, "Papa!" and ''Polly! " 



