Bodin's Amazon.



181



They live well—we never lost one by death—and I am in hopes of

breeding them this year. I am safe in saying that no one ever had them

alive in an aviary before, so that I am very proud of my White-winged

Blue Wrens.



BODIN’S AMAZON


(Chrysotis bod ini).


By Allen Silver, F.Z.S., F.R.H.S.


Since the Hon. and Rev. Canon Dutton in 1899 contributed notes

on Chrysotis for this journal, I do not remember having seen any mention

of Bodin’s Amazon Parrot therein. On that occasion the writer said

he had not seen it, although from the B.M.C. he knew of its existence.

In twenty years I do not remember seeing more than a single specimen,

although one would suspect that a bird hailing from British Guiana

and Venezuela would be less rare. Probably it passes with other trade

birds unrecognized into private hands. One frequently meets with

surprises of this kind. Only the other day I discovered a lovely pair of

Blackheaded Caiques at the rear of a baker’s shop, where they were

kept and known by the owners as “ Macaiques ”, coming from far up

the Amazon River. A short time ago I saw advertised a Red-fronted

Amazon, and knowing how sporting are these cover-all descriptive terms,

such as “ Red-fronted ”, I gambled, not expecting, of course, C. vittata.


On arrival the bird proved to be Chrysotis bodini in excellent

condition. I see in my Russ, p. 555, vol. iii, Parrot Section, that it

was probably first received, or at least recognized, on the Continent

forty years ago, and it has been represented in our Zoo.


Those possessing Butler’s Foreign Birds Jor Cage and Aviary

(probably the handiest book extant for an aviculturist) will find it

adequately described. It, however, suffices here to mention that it is

one of the small red-rumped and red-headed Amazons, with lilacine

and bluish head and neck ornamentations. In behaviour it reminds me

of C. viridigena, and yelps mornings and evenings like that and other

Amazons, which character seems the curse of the group.



