152 



FOKEIGN BIRDS FOE CAGE AND AVIAHY. 



purchased by the Zoological Society, is published in 

 their " Proceedings " for 1878. It was the tirst example 

 that Dr. Sclater had ever seen alive. Writing in 2']tc 

 Avkultural Magazine in 1897, the Rev. F. G. Dutton 

 says that he has only seen two (one of them being the 

 above-mentioned bird), and he found both of them ill- 

 tempered. On the other hand, Mr. Fulljames tells us 

 (The Avkultural Maijazine, March. 1898) that his 

 Spix's Macaw '" is one of the best-tempered birds in the 

 collection." Canon Dutton evidently had not seen the 

 example deposited at the Gardens in 1894. Russ only 

 speaks of the bird as being extremely rare. 



As all bird-keepers know well, it is impossible to be 

 certain of the character of any species from a study of 

 one or two examples only. Even in the case of birds 

 which are generaily ill-temj)ered and malicious, amiable 

 individuals may occasionally be met with. Moreover, 

 circumstances may alter cases, and a Parrot chained 

 by the leg to a stand may be excused for being more 

 morose than one in a roomy cage. 



Blue and Yellow M.iC.iw (Ara ararauna). 



The prevailing colour of the upper parts is blue, the 

 forehead, crown, and rump being somewhat greenish ; 

 the primaries and tail-leathers above of a purplish- 

 indigo colour ; the feathered lines on the cheeks are 

 black ; the chin of the same colour ; the lower part of 

 the face, throat, breast and belly saffron-yellow ; the 

 under tail-coverts greenish-blue ; the tail and wings 

 below yellow ; the beak black ; naked parts of the face 

 white ; iris of eye yellow ; feet deep grey. Female 

 slightly smaller, vdth shorter, naiTower beaK. the ter- 

 minal hook shorter. Hab., Panama to Bolivia and 

 Guiana, and throughout the Amazon Valley. Like the 

 other Macaws, it inhabits wooded districts, laying its 

 two eggs m a hole in the trunk of a tree; it is usually 

 seen only in pairs, which may partly account for its 

 limited importation to this country ; for although, ne.xt 

 to the Red and Blue ilacaw, this is the best known 

 species of its group, it is jjerhaps less frequently to be 

 met with, excepting in zoological gardens. It is quite 

 a.s noisy as the other species. 



In his " Handbook " Dr. Russ gives no information 

 of importance respecting this species. As is well known, 

 it was bred as long ago as 1818 by Mr. Lamouroux ; the 

 lien nesting in a small barrel, pierced toward a third of 

 its height with a hole of about 6 inches in diameter, 

 and the bottom of which contained a bed of sawdust 

 3 inches thick, on which the eggs were laid and 

 hatched. 



" In four vears and a half, from the month of March, 

 1818, to the end of August, 1822, these birds laid sixty- 

 two eggs, in nineteen broods. Of this number twenty- 

 live eggs produced young ones, of which ten only died ; 

 the others lived, and became perfectly accustomed to 

 the climate. They laid eggs at all seasons ; and the 

 broods became more freiiuent and more productive in 

 the course of time, and in the end much fewer were 

 lost. The number of eggs in the nest used to vary, six 

 having been tosether at one time ; and these Macaws 

 were seen to bring \\\> four young ones at once. These 

 eggs took from twenty to twenty-five days to be 

 hatched, like thosa of our common hens. Their form 

 was that of a pear, a little flattened, and their length 

 equal to that of a pigeon's egg. It was only between 

 the fifteenth and five-and-twentieth dav that the vouni^ 

 ones became covered with a verv thick down, soft, and 

 of whitish slate-grey. The feathers did not begin tc 

 make their api)earance until towards the thirtieth dav, 

 and took two months to anuive their full growth. It 

 was a dozen or fifteen months before the young arrived 

 to the size of their parents, but their plumage had all 



its beauty from six months old. At three months old 

 they abandoned the nest and could eat alone. Up to 

 tills period they had been fed by their father and 

 ir.other, which disgorged the food from their bill in 

 the same manner as pigeons do." 



This species was hrst exhibited by the London Zoo- 

 logical Society in 1859, since which time specimens 

 have been frequently added to the collection, sometimes 

 several in one year ; thus in 1871 no less than four were 

 either presented or deposited, and in 1884 five were 

 added, and in 1888 four, in 1889 three ; altogether, I 

 suppose something like five dozen examples must have 

 found their way to the Regent's Park Gardens. 



Red and Blue M.\caw (.-Iro inacao). 



Prevailing colour, scarlet ; the scapularies, greater 

 and median wing-coverts above, yellow tipped with 

 green ; flights above, blue ; lower back, rump, upper 

 and under tail-coverts, pale blue ; tail-feathers with 

 black shaft.«, the two centre ones faintly tipped with 

 blue, which increases externally, the three outermost 

 feathers being almost entirely blue above ; wings and 

 tail below mostlj- orange-vermilion, the greater wing- 

 coverts being, hoviever, brownish, and the three outer 

 tail-teathers very dark ; feet blackish ; beak with white 

 upper mandible tipjied with black, lower mandible 

 black ; naked skin of cheeks duU flesh-colouied ; iris 

 yellowish-white. Female smaller ; the beak shorter and 

 with shorter terminal hook. Hab., Mexico, through 

 Central America to Bolivia, Guiana, and the Amazon 

 Valley. 



Speaking of this species, as observed by him in Costa 

 Rica, Mr. A. Boucard says: — " Common at San Carlos. 

 Kvery morning they fly about in large flocks. In the 

 daytime you can see them in the forest eating fi-uit ; 

 they are easily detected by the noise they make, and by 

 the rejected iiieces of fruit constantly falling down from 

 the trees on which they are perched." 



While describing the cultivation of the tonca-bean 

 tree, Eugene Andre says (" A Naturalist in the 

 Guianas," p. 8): — "During the months of October and 

 November, while the fruit is still quite small and green, 

 the large Macaws and several other members of the 

 Parrot family commit great havoc upon the young 

 crop." 



Dr. Russ speaks of this Macaw as common in zoo- 

 logical gardens, much admired on account of its 

 splendid colouring, endures for many years ; like the 

 allied species, much attached to thoiie of its kind, 

 easily comes to grief through plucking itself. A bird 

 belonging to Mr. C'zarnikow. at the " Ornis " Exhibi- 

 tion of 1879. could speak about a hundred words. 



Doubtless the plucking spoken of bv Russ h; due to 

 inijiioper food offered to these birds by visitors to the 

 Gardens. 



First deix>sited at the London Gardens in 1859 ; since 

 which time a good many examples have been exhibited 

 there, though far fewer than of the " Blue and Yellow " 

 species. 



Red and Yellcw Macaw (Ara c/iloroptrra). 

 Deep crimson ; the lower back, rump, upper and 

 under tail-coverts pale blue ; lesser wing-coverts deep 

 crimson ; median coverts olive-green ; greater coverts 

 blue, but the innermost ones and the scapulars olive- 

 green tinged with blue ; flights blue ; two middle tail- 

 feathers deep red tipiied with blue ; the next two pairs 

 blue, v;ith broad red edges to both webs towards the 

 base ; remaining feathers almost wholly blue ; flights 

 and tail below golden red ; naked skin on sides of head 

 flesh-colour lined with red feathers; upper mandible 

 horn-white, lihick at base of edges ; lower mandible 



