AMAZONS. 



173 



South Guiana, (The IhU, 1897. p. 158) says: "On some 

 of the gigantic trees (.such a.s ' Suniaiimas') we observed 

 charminir societies of . . . PaiTots (such as Cliri/xotis 

 fariiwsa, the "Moleiro," 'wliich was very frequent!." 



As a cage-bird the Hon. an^ Rev. F. G. Dutton did 

 not find it teacliahle. but Dr. Russ says : " A favoured 

 tallcer. is one of the most gifteid, at tlie same time 

 gentle and amiaible, but unhappily one of the most 

 frightful shriekers." He states the (ierman price as 30 

 to 45 marks, or. for a talker, 75, 90, to 100 ni'arks. 



The first example to reacli the Regejrt's Park Gardens 

 was dejxj'sited in 1863. and probably in all they have 

 had the honour of e.\hibitin»^ about a dozen si>ecimens 

 to the public. 



Mercenary Am.izon [C/iri/solis mrrceiiaria). 



Green ; feathers of the hind-neck edged with black ; 

 u|;peT tail-coverts paler, brighter green ; front edge of 

 wing yellow moi-e or le^s tinged with red ; tips of 

 nights black, more or lees tinged with blue ; the usual 

 red' speculum at baS'S of firsjt three secondai-iee ; central 

 tail-feathers with yellowish-gi-een tips, lateral featherB 

 mostly I'e'd between the green biise. and gresnish-yellow 

 tijjs, but dark purple between the i-ed and green oai the 

 outer \veb.s ; the second and third feathers with the inner 

 webs red to tJie buse, tlie outermost one with a blue 

 edge to its oaiter web ; forehea.d, cheeks, and Under- 

 sui-face paler and brighter green than the baek ; tail 

 below with a reddish tinge on the lateral feathers up 

 to the greenish-yellow tip'S ; beak dusky, yellowish at 

 bare of upper mandible; feet brown; irideis yellow. 

 FeiDalu pi.liablv differing in form of beaJk as in the 

 pnciiliiifr v|,ecies.* Hab., "Peru, Ecuador, and' Colom- 

 l.ia/' (Snlvadoi-i.) 



Stolzmann says (Taczanswski's " Ornithologie du 

 Perou," Vol. III., p. 222) : " Parrakeet going to the 

 greatest height in the mountains after Cuniiriis 

 mitmtiis ; the commonest at Huambo, where one often 

 sees great numbers arrive upon the trees. In tlie morn- 

 ing and at sunset they are most restless, especially at 

 that last period of the day's work one sees them arrive 

 at the place of their choice in great or small com- 

 munities. There they scream, and finally, when all 

 the company is complete, they all take wing at one 

 signal given and retire screaming to the place where 

 they pass the night ; afterwards one sees isolated 

 delayed pairs follow the principal community. 



"When feeding they are quiet and difficult to dis- 

 cover. The hunter does not usually discover their 

 presence until they fly away, thrice uttering their cry 

 of alarm and including the entire community in their 

 flight. I have never seen this species in captivity, for 

 the inhabitants do not know the nesting-places. Mean- 

 while, I have been assured that it is sometimes reared 

 and learns to talk perfectly. " Its flight, like that of 

 Chri/suth in general, most resembles that of ducks, just 

 as hurriedly flapping the wings. In the forest they 

 always keep in pairs. Its name is Inro .wrrio." 



This rarely-imported Amazon arrived at the London 

 Zoological Gardens in 1882. Russ thinks this is the 

 only time in which it has been imported. (" Hand- 

 buch," p. 238). 



Orange-winged Amazon {Chrysotis amazonica). 

 The adult male is green above, paler below ; feathers 

 at back of neck edged with blackish; forehead, lores 



• Sppcimene without a red' fpeculrum are reg-arded aa touhb- 

 by Oount S*lvadori. but he saw thev sho-n- no otiCT Kie-n of 

 Touth; perhaps they may be fenwJes ; but I think cot, for seieJ 

 females aro in the Mreeura coUection. 



and superciliary stripe blue ; front of head and a spot 

 on the rluM'l;s from below the eye e-xtciidiiig (<i ilic beak 

 of sinning ycll..w ; earcoverts grass guru : liisi jnimary 

 cuvci! U|iiii'.l with blue; wing-spcniluiu niaiigc-red; 

 priuKu ies liluik, all excepting the hrst, with green 

 outer webs, with a blue t-inge between the grgen and 

 black as in the preceding species ; lateral tail-feathers 

 with the inner web orange-red almost to the tips, and 

 crossed by a green band ; outer feather with the middle 

 of the outer web blue ; beak pale horn yellowish, the 

 tip dusky ; a yellow spot at the base of the upper 

 .mandible; feet brownish horn-grey; iris cinnabar red 

 to clear yellow. Female with shorter, less tapering 

 and more arched beak than the male. I should think 

 it probable that the examples with clear yellow iris 

 would prove to be the females, and those with cinnabai- 

 or reddish-orange iris the males. Hab., Guiana, 

 Venezuela. Trinidad, Colombia, and the Amazons. 



This species is abundant in the woods and scrubs of 

 the plain region. At night great flocks collect in their 

 favourite roosting places, whence during the day they 

 wander through the neighbourhood in search of food. 

 In spring and summer the sexes of each pair are con- 

 tinually seen together. The species is much sought 

 for and cherished as a pet by the natives. This is 

 practically all that Burmeister has to say respecting 

 the home life of the species, but from what Dr. Russ 

 says, it appears to nest near the top of extremely lofty 

 branchless trees (of course in holes). 



C. A. Lloyd (" Timehri," New Series, Vol. IX., 

 p. 270) says that the Indians assert that Chrysotis 

 uc/irocep/iala "frequently breeds in company -yith C. 

 aniazoiiicd, and that young birds of both species are 

 often taken from the same nest." 



In Dr. Goeldi's notes on the birds of the Capim 

 River {The Ibis, 1903, pp. 478-9) he speaks of "the 

 deafening noise made by various Parrots, among them 

 especially the ' Curica ' (Chrysotis amnzonicn)." This 

 confirms the late Dr. Russ's statement that it is the 

 most irritating of screamers, though admitted to be very 

 teachable; nevertheless, even when it talks, it does not 

 omit to screech. 



This Amazon was first purchased by the Zoological 

 Society of London in 1873, since which time a good 

 many examples have been exhibited in the Gardens at 

 Regent's Park. 



Blue-fronted Amazon (Chrysotis a.sliva). 



The genera] colour of this beautif ul bird is griies-gi'een, 

 clearer below than aoove; the forehead is bright azure 

 lilu :■ ; the face, chin, and throat are occupied by a large 

 p itch of yellow ; the shoulder of the wing and the third 

 and fourth primaries i^re iscariet ; the first and fvecond 

 primaries bine ; the centre tail feathers washed with 

 reddish on the inner web ; beak blackish brown ; feet 

 grey ; iris of eye orange. Dr. Russ, however, says that 

 the beak is blackish-brown, with black cere, the feet 

 bluish-grey, with black claws, and the iris varying from 

 orange-red to yellow, and I think that he is more likely 

 to be correct than Burmeister (who states that the beak 

 is horn-grey, with paler culmen and pale yellow cere). 

 Female with the beak shorter and broader at the base. 

 Hab., Bolivia, Southern and Central Brazil, Paraguay 

 and Argentina. 



Burmeister says that this is the commonest Parrot in 

 the forest region of the Brazilian coast. It affects the 

 marshy headlands of the river. Its favourite fruits 

 appear to be those of Conocarpus and Avieennia: it is 

 also stated to do immense mischief in orange gardens, 

 which I can quite believe. 



Dr. E. Lonnberg, writing on Birds from N.W. 



