241 



PARROTS AND PARRAKEETS. 



By Dr. C. vS. Simpson. 

 (Continued from page 200 J . 



Thk Q.o:^\jKV:S{Conurus), or Wedge-tailed Parrakeets, 

 form another American gronp, numbering fifty -two 

 species. Their range includes the Gulf vStates of North 

 America, Central America, the West Indies, and nearly 

 the whole of South America. It will be observed that 

 this district includes the most Northerly, as well as the 

 most Southerly, latitudes reached by any member of the 

 Parrot family. Many of the Conures are extremely beau- 

 tiful, and they are hardy and easily kept in confinement, 

 but the great majority are incurable screamers. Among 

 the best known are the Jendaya {C. jendaya), the White- 

 eared {C. leucotis), the Golden-crowned {C. aureus), the 

 Nanday {C. nenday), and the Yellow Couure {C. solstitial is). 

 The most desirable as a cage bird, in my opinion, is the 

 Patagonian Conure [C. patagonus). It is rather a rare 

 bird, and nearly all the specimens I have seen have been 

 very tame and good talkers. The plumage is less gaudy 

 than that of most of its relations, being of a rich olive- 

 brown on the head, neck, and back, while the abdomen 

 is orange-red, and a white band extends across the 

 upper part of the breast. The Patagonian Conure is 

 another of those species which depart from the usual 

 nesting habits of the Parrot family. They are stated on 

 good authority to breed in burrows made in the face of 

 rocky cliffs in Chili and Patagonia. They live and breed 

 in colonies ; the face of the rocks which the\' select for 

 breeding purposes being perforated by innumerable 

 holes, each of w^hicli is the entrance to the breeding 

 place of a single pair. While the Patagonian Conure is 

 the only species which reaches the most southern part of 

 South America, on the other hand the Carolina Conure 

 [C. caroliiiensis) is the only species found in North 

 America, 



The: THiCK-Bir.i^ED Parrakeets [Bolborhynchus) are 



