168 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



Guiana Parrotlet [I'Htlacu/a guianensis). 

 Green ; lower back and rump emerald-green^^ some- 

 times washed wath :blue ; upper tail-coverts yeflowish- 

 green ; outer edges and lips of greater upper wing-coverts 

 emerald-greMi; the outer ones sometimes tinged with 

 cobult-iblue; innermiost primary coverts deep blue; 

 metacarpal edge blui&h-gi'een ; tail with yellow inner 

 ■webs to the t'eathore; hind neck tinged with greyish; 

 forehead and «ides of head emerald'-Hgreen ; under i>arts 

 yellowish-green ; imder wing-coverts deep blue, partly 

 tipped or edged -with bluisli-greeui ; axillaries bluish- 

 green tipped wJth deep blue ; flights below with greenish 

 anner webs; bealk whitish; feet flesh-coloured; irides 

 brown. Female green, with brighteT Tump. the sides 

 of head and under-surface yellowish-green ; inner webs 

 of flights below green,isJi. Hab., "Guiana (?l, Vene- 

 zuela, Tiinidad Island, Colombia, and Amazons Valley 

 from Rio Brancho to Diamantina Creek and Santajem." 

 (Salvador!.) 



The form from the Lower Amazons is now sieparated 

 as I'. dcUciu.^a. ilr. E. W. Hai-per {The Avicultural 

 Mai/azinr^ New Series, Vol. VI.. p. 36) says: "The 

 Guiana Lovebirds {Psiltam/n ^jiiimi. „<]■>) appear to be 

 all imported from the noinliliuaiing r(ilony of Dutch 

 Guiana ; they breed freely in raptivity in quite email 

 cages, the cock being very fussy when he becomes a 

 father. Although, owing to the 'safety in numbers,' 

 several dozen may be put together, yet two pairs in 

 one cage cannot agree, ais I proved to my cost — one 

 cock promptly killing the other." 



ilr. Harper brought home a pair of this pretty 

 species in 1905, and presented bheni to the London 

 Zoological Society. 



We now come to tlie genus Brotoijeri/s, of which Mr, 

 Seth-Smith writes ("Parrakeets." p. 77): "These little 

 Parrakeets are only moderately hardy, and should there- 

 fore never be subjected to a lower temi>erature than 

 55 deg. or 60 deg. Fahr., altJiongh thev may not at first 

 seem to feel the cold." 



" Their food should consist chiefly of canaryseed and 

 ripe fruit, but white and spray millet may be added in 

 small quantities, and plain 'biscuit, given in strict 

 moderation, is much appreciated by some species." 



Ai.L-GREEN Paerakeet {Brotuffcri/s tiricaj. 



Green; somewhat yellowish on the under parts; the 

 primary-coverte ajid primaries are blue, whilst the 

 greater under wing-coverts and basal half of the inner 

 webs of the quills below are bluish; the two central 

 tail-feathers are bluish, and the remaining feathers have 

 narrow yellow edges to their inner weba ; the beak is 

 reddith flesh-coloured with whitish cere; the feet 

 brownish-flesh ; iris brownish-grey. Female smaller, 

 her beak shorter and broader, more bell-shaped when 

 viewed from abo've. Hab., Eastern Brazil ; perhaps also 

 Briti.";i Guiana. 



Burmeister describes the female as less brightly 

 coloured and Wuei* than the male. He erays that the 

 species inhahits the entire forest region of the Brazilian 

 coast, Avhere it is one of the conunonest birds. He 

 adds: "We were frequently broaght living specimiens, 

 which, are eagerly captured and kept in rooms— that is 

 to say in the small townships. Of its manner of life 

 there is nothing special to record." It is said to do 

 oansiderable injury to the grain crops. 



Dr. Rufs says that this bird is universally known, 

 but little admired. It was raire until 1873, when it 

 was fii'.st imported in considei-able numbers by W. 

 Schluter, of Halle, and Gudera, of Leipzig, since which 



it has been common in the market. He .=ays it may 

 be wintered in an unlieated enclosure, or even out of 

 doors. It has been freely bred. Parson Hintz, of 

 Rastenburg, in 1882 reared a brood of four young ; 

 then Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and others 

 followed'. Herr Hintz'e birds gnawed a hole in the ceil- 

 ing of the bird-room and laboriously carried out a 

 quantity of plaster They were little heard or seen 

 dui'ing incubation, fed quickly, and disappeared again 

 without noise until the succeeding day. With Mr. 

 Graeff. jun., this species nested for several years with 

 abundant results " in a large flight-cage." (Flughecke.) * 

 Mr. Phillipps informs ns that this bird, which Dr. 

 Russ seems not to care for, is said to make a delightful 

 pet ; if so, it is worth breeding, but so far I have not 

 heard of anyone breeding it in this country. The young 

 are greyer than the aduJte, and show no blue in their 

 plumage, according to BurmeisteT. The fii'st specimens 

 to reach the London Zoological Gardens were presented 

 in 1862. after which others Avere obtained from time to 

 time. 



Canary-winged Park.\keet (Biotogcnjs chiriri). 



Green, slightly paler below ; bastard-wing and outer 

 greater-coverts bright deep-yellow ; primary coverts 

 ■d'eep blue ; great under wing-coverts and inner 'webs of 

 primaries below blue ; tail below bkiish ; beak fleshy 

 tiorn-coloured ; feet brownisih horn-coloiu'ed ; iris dark 

 brown. Female with a narrower beak, without lateral 

 angle at end of cutting edge of upper mandible, when 

 viewed from above. Hab., South-Kastern Brazil, Matto 

 Grosso, Bolivia, the Uppeir Amazon, and East Peru. 



Edwaa-d Bartlett, speaking of this bird, as observed by 

 him' in Eastern Peru, s.iys that it " breedis in the white 

 ants' nests, and is found in flocks about the tanks of 

 the rivers and towns. The eggs are white, and from 

 five to six in number." 



Dr. Russ seems not to have personally posseeeed this 

 Parrot, but he informs us that one in the possession of 

 Dr. Luchs, of Warnibrunn, learned to tpeak several 

 words. 



By some this Parrakeet has been accounted specially 

 noisy, but Mr. PJiillipps thinks it is not more so than 

 its allies. 



The London Zoological Society purchased an example 

 of this bird in 1863. but it seems rarely to reach this 

 country. 



White-winged Parrakeet (Brotoijerj/s rirescens). 



The adult male is deep grass^green above, the imder 

 parts being slightly paler and yellower; the forehead, 

 lore.*, and upper paa-ts of cheeiks tinged with bluish- 

 grey ; first primary black, with edge of outer web and 

 tip blue ; three succeeding primaries blue, with green 

 outer edge ; bastard-wing and remaining flights white, 

 tihe secondaries islightly yellowish; gi'eater coverts yel- 

 low; greater under wing-coverts, iimer webs of first 

 four primaries below, and imder-surface of tail bluish- 

 green ; beak pale yellowish horn-coloured ; feet flesh- 

 brownish ; iris brown. Female with thicker beaik, with 

 less defined culmen, and without the defined angle at the 

 end of the cuttingedge of the upper mandible, as 

 viewed from above. Hab., the valley of the Amazon 

 from Para to the Andes of Peru. 



Burmeister says that nothing special is known as to 

 the wild life of this bird. According to Russ, it was 

 recognised by Buffon as a talking bird. 



, the Avicultural Maga- 



