176 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



unhappily is high-priced, and like all its relatives it 

 knows how to scream. 



Russ savs that this .''pecies is somewhat rarer than its 

 allies, yet" generally known. He mentions the German 

 prices as 50-75 marks for freshly imported birds ; 100- 

 150 maj-ks for talkers. The London Zoological Society 

 first purchased it in 1844, and has added others from 

 time to time ; the latest mentioned in the ninth edition 

 of the " List of Animals " was deposited at the Gardens 

 in 1893. 



Double-fronted or Levaillant's Amazon 

 ( Ch ri/sotis ie vu illanii). 



The adult male above is green, more yellow on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; the head and neck yellow, pale 

 round base of beak ; the under surface paler and more 

 bluish ; bend of wing and speculum red ; bastard wing 

 and primary coverts slightly bluish ; primaries black, 

 all excepting the first with green bases to their outer 

 ■webs ; secondaries tipped with blue-black ; tail with a 

 broad yellowish belt towards the tip ; the lateral 

 feathers red at the base ; the outer feather with blue 

 outer web ; tail below red at the base, green in the 

 middle, yellowish at the tip ; beak whitish ; feet pale 

 brown ; iris red, with yellow inner ring. Female 

 smaller ; her beak slightly shorter and a trifle broader at 

 the base when viewed from above. Hab., " ilexico, 

 from Nuevo Leon on the east and Mazatlan and Tres 

 Marias on the west to Tehuantepec, Yucatan, and Hon- 

 duras." (Salvadori.) 



I have found no notes respecting the r/ild life ; but 

 Russ says : 



" Just as with us. it is treasured in its own home. 

 The Indians steal the young out of the nests, and all 

 large Yellowheads (German trivial name) reach the 

 market already at least half-tame and speaking some 

 •words, yet always singly or in a few heads. Being 

 delicate immNliately aft-er their importation, they then 

 require considerable attention, but when well acclima- 

 tised, they belong to the longest-lived of all Parrots. 

 SFarvellous excellence ! Astonishing gift of comprehen- 

 sion ! Certain birds of this species, nevertheless, learn 

 nothing. However, one should not conclude that sucli 

 a one is beyond hope, for often, even after years, it 

 learns quite admirably. Even the most excellent of 

 such talkers, nevertheless, at times utters the most dis- 

 tracting natural scream." 



The Hon. and Rev. F. G. Button speaks very highly 

 of this Parrot, of which he says he once had one whicli 

 sang seven songs, did the French nrilitary exercises, said 

 other things, and swore like a sailor, and did it all when 

 he told it. The bird must have been useful when any- 

 thing unpleasant occurred which required the services 

 of a layman. 



The London Zoological Society first secured this 

 Amazon in 1859. and has since exhibited a good many 

 examples of it at the Gardens. 



Natteree's Amazon (Chrysotis nallercri). 



Green ; bend of wing arfd speculum red ; tail, except- 

 ing the two central feathers, with a greenish-yellow 

 terminal belt; forehead, sides of head- and throat, blue 

 or bluish-green ; naked orbital-skin white ; beak horn- 

 grey, blackish towards the tip. and with a yellowish 

 spot on the sides of upper mandible towards the base ; 

 feet brownish-grey tinged with greenish ; irides orange. 

 Female not differentiated. Hab., "Rio Mamore, W. 

 Brazil, near Rio Madeira." (Salvadori.) 



In his " Catalogue of the Parrots," Count Salvadori 

 speaks of this species as not having been seen by him ; 

 neither is it mentioned in the ninth edition of the Zoo- 



logical Society's "List of Animals," but Dr. Russ says 

 ("Handbuch fiir VogeUiebhaber," p. 238): "Extremely- 

 rare and always only singly in the market." This is 

 evidence that it has been imported into Germany. 



Dufresne's Amazon {Chrysotis dufresniana). 



Green ; front edge of wing yellowish-green ; first four 

 secondaries orange at base, forming a speculum ; 

 primaries black, green at base of outer webs ; innermost 

 primaries and secondaries dark blue at tips ; lateral tail- 

 feathers with a broad yellowish-green terminal belt ; the 

 four outer feathers tinged with orange or reddish on 

 inner webs of terminal portion ; forehead and lores 

 orange-yellow, crown yellowish : cheeks and throat 

 bluish at tips of feathers ; orbital ring white ; beak 

 dusky, " coral-red, yellow at base " (Russ) ; reddish- 

 white at base of upper mandible ; feet yellowish-grey, 

 claws horn-grey ; irides orange-red. Female smaller, 

 and with distinctly shorter and broader beak. Hab., 

 Guiana. I have found no notes on the natural life in 

 mv library. 



The Hon. and Rev. Canon Dutton says of this si)ecie& 

 (Greene's "Parrots in Captivity." Vol. II., p. 97): 

 " This is a handsome bird. He is about the size of the 

 common Amazon. The prevailing colour is an even 

 green, but the upper tail-coverts are brilliant crimson. 

 He has a brownish line of feathers from eye to eye over 

 the beak, which is dark horn-colour." 



Salvadori says nothing about crimson upper tail- 

 coverts or about the brownish feathers from eve to eye ; 

 his descrijjtion of the lieak also differs both from Canon 

 Dutton's and Russ', since he says : " Bill dusk.v, with 

 the base of the upper mandible red," and Russ says: 

 "Bill clear to coral-red"; and later: "Base of beak 

 and upp?r throat yellow." Greene figures the bird with 

 a flesh-coloured beak, blue cheeks and chin, a scarlet 

 cap, orange towards the edges, and the outer webs of 

 the third to fifth secondaries wholly red. Doubtless this 

 illustration is incoiTeet ; but is the bird which Canon 

 Dutton says is " not very attractive." and of which 

 furthermore he remarks : " I have never seen a specimen 

 that talked. Tliey are rather qviiet and didl," the same 

 species as the true C. dufresniana described in the 

 " Catalogue of Birds"? Greene's figure would do better 

 for C. rhndocori/tlia. 



C. dufresniana was first exhibited at Regent's Park 

 in 1863, but several specimens of this, or the next 

 species, have reached the Gardens since that date. 



Red-topped Amazon {C/iri/sotis rlwduconjtha). 



Green; wings with a red speculum, otherwise as in 

 the preceding species ; tail also only differing in having 

 a red patch towards the tip of the inner webs ; crown 

 or front of crown red, back of head and hind neck with 

 brownish-red or maroon edges to the feathers ; lores 

 yellow ; cheeks and throat tinged with blue at the tips 

 of the feathers ; upper mandiVile whitish, reddish 

 towards the base ; lower mandible horn-dusky ; feet 

 .^■ellowi.eh-grey ; irides orange. Female .^mailer and 

 duller in colour, but with longer, narrower, and less 

 arched beak. Hab., "South-eastern Brazil, from 

 Espiritu Santo to Serra dos Orgaos. " 



Burmeister savs : " Inhabits especially the middle 

 and northern Brazils (Rio de Janeiro, Spirito Santo), 

 and there palpably the most beautiful species, but not 

 abundant ; lives in dense primeval forests and is recog- 

 nisable by its weakly screaming Hollow note, sounding- 

 like noat-noat. " 



This species was distinguished' from Dufresne's 

 Amazon by Count Salvadori (The Ibis, 1890, pp. 370, 

 371), which doubtless explains the confusion in the 



