THE DOUBLE YELLOW-HEADED PARROT. 



^ ^^ I ERE we have a picture of 

 ^ the best, with possibly one 

 ^^ exception, the African Gray, 

 S of the talking parrots. 



^*— ^ Its home is in Mexico, 

 about the wooded bottoms of La Cruz 

 river, in the province of Taumaulipas, 

 on the east coast. It is a wild, pic- 

 turesque region of swamps, jungles, 

 and savannahs, with here and there a 

 solitary hacienda or farm-house, where 

 three hundred or four hundred persons 

 are at work in the fertile soil. Here, 

 three hundred miles south of Mata- 

 moras, the nearest American settle- 

 ment, is the spot where your pet 

 Parrot, says an. exchange, probably 

 first opened its eyes to the light of day 

 stealing through the branches of the 

 ebony and coma trees, amid surround- 

 ings that might to an imaginary Polly 

 suggest the first dawn of creation. 

 The forests in this region abound in 

 all kinds of birds in rich plumage. 

 Parrakeets are so abundant that what 

 with the screeching and cawing of the 

 Parrots it is sometimes impossible to 

 hear one's own voice. Hunters do 

 not trouble themselves to secure them, 

 however, as they are not worth carry- 

 ing to market. There is apparently 

 a profit only in the Double Yellow- 

 head, for which the hunters get as 

 much as $20.00. There are two kinds 

 of Mexican Parrots, both of which are 

 held in far different esteem. The only 

 Mexican Parrot that is in general 

 demand as a talking pet is the Double 

 Yellow-head, which with age develops 

 a yellow hood that extends completely 

 over its head and shoulders. In con- 

 nection with the "speaking" of 

 Parrots, one of the most curious cir- 

 cumstances is that recorded by Hum- 

 boldt, who in South America met with 

 a venerable bird which remained the 

 sole possessor of a literally dead lan- 



guage, the whole tribe of Indians who 

 alone had spoken it having become 

 extinct. 



The Parrot builds no nest. The 

 female selects a deep hollow in the 

 highest tree trunk and there lays two 

 eggs. This occurs about the first of 

 May. The young are hatched about 

 the 15th of June, ten days elapse 

 before they can open their eyes, and 

 several weeks must be allowed for the 

 young birds to outgrow their squab 

 state and gain sufficient strength to be 

 removed from the care of their parents. 

 The Parrot is a wily and wise bird. 

 It lays its eggs safely out of reach of 

 ordinary danger and takes good care 

 not to betray their whereabouts. 

 When the young birds are hatched 

 they are fed twice a day by their 

 elders, early in the morning and again 

 about the close of day. The birds in 

 feeding their young give vent to a 

 series of contented clucks and chuckles, 

 which is answered by the young ones. 

 These birds live on mangoes and the 

 nuts of the ebony tree. 



Newton observes, that considering 

 the abundance of Parrots both as 

 species and individuals, it is surprising 

 how little is known of their habits in 

 a wild state. 



It is probable that no other bird has 

 been more admired or more thoroughly 

 execrated. If it is good natured, is an 

 interesting talker, and you happen to 

 be in a mood to listen to it with 

 some pleasure, you will speak favorably 

 of the bird, saying to it: "Pretty 

 Polly! pretty Polly!" but should your 

 nerves be unstrung and every noise a 

 source of irritation, the rasping, high- 

 pitched screech of a Parrot, which is a 

 nuisance in any neighborhood, will 

 be beyond endurance. We shall always 

 be satisfied with the possession of 

 Polly's picture as she was. 



18 r 



