CARCLiyA PAROKF.F.T. 



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Color. Aihill.. Iloail and neck allavounil, li:-is,!ityr.ll,iw, witli tho f'lrrhcad aliovo cyeaml^idt'sof licad.volliiwibli-rc'd. 

 Body, green generally, lighter beneath. Outer wehs of [jriraaries, lilui-^h- green, yellow at thi; base. Wing cover's, blu- 

 i.sh-green, yellow at base. Edge of wing, yellow tinged with red. Two miildlc tail feathers, and outer wc-bs of remainder, 

 green, but the inner webs are reddish. Tibia, yellow. Dill, white. Iris, dark-brown. Naked ring around eye, wliite. 

 Feet, pinkish-white. 



Youny. Quite similar to the adult in general appearance liut wiih the yellow on the licad s]iottcd with more or lcs,s 

 green. 



Youny of the year. II™d and neck, wholly green, an(i t!ic tail is short. The red and yellow of tlie head arenotiicquircd 

 until after the .second moult and the full dress is not assumed until the third year. 



NfStlinys. One of my collectors, who found the young in the ne^t, informs me that they are co\ercd wiih a grayish 

 down. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known from other species, by the colors as described. Distributed, as a ooastant resident, throughout Middle 

 Florida and rarely, at intervals, along the Mississippi River to Southern Illinois. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average mea.suremcnts of specimens from Florida. Length, l.'i-35; stretch, 22-.S0: wing, 7-23; tail, fl-.TO; bill, I'OO; 

 tai-sus, -70. Longest specimen, ll'Oi); greatest extent of wing, 22'50; longest wing, 7'75: tail, 6-50; bill, I'lO; tarsus, -75. 

 Shortest specimen, 12'50; smallest extent of wing, 3r00; shortest wing, 6'50; tail, 5-90; bill, -90; tarsus, -fiS. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in holes of trees, generally some natural cavity of a large size. A number of pairs breed together in the 

 same hole. 



Eyys, are. as I have liecn informed by those who liavc seen them, greenish-white in color and of about the s.amesizo 

 fus those of the Turtle Dove. There are, I believe, no authentic s]iecimens in collections. 



IIAIUTS. 



There were no birds for which I looked with greater interest than the Parokoots but, 

 althongh I searched diligently for them throughout the winter of my first visit to Florida, 

 I did not meet with them in the state of nature until April, 1869. I was walking acro.ss 

 some fields on a phmtatiou near the Mantanzas River, some twenty-five miles south of St. 

 Augustine, when I observed a large flock of Parokeets moving along the ground. T ap- 

 proached within a few yards of the birds and watched them for some time but they di,l not 

 apjjear to pay the slightest attention to me; thus I hail an excellent opportunity of noting 

 their actions. At first, I could not make out what they were doing but soon found that 

 they were busily engaged in eating cockspurs, the seeds of a species of grass which grows 

 very tibundantly in old fields. They walked quite well for birds having such short legs 

 and, in pressing forward, moved side by side in a long rank, looking exactly like minia- 

 ture soldiers. After a few moments, something started them and they rose, wheeled about, 

 darting rapidly up and down, precisely like pigeons, at the same time, uttering loud cries; 

 then settled quietly down again and resumed their meal, as composedly as if nothing had 

 occurred to interrupt. 



This is the only time that I ever chanced to see the Parokeets feeding on the ground 

 but I have been informed by the inhabitants of Florida, that they are very fond of the 

 <;ockspur3 and will frequently alight in the fields in order to eat thtmi. Early in winter, 

 they visit the swamps, where they feed upon the cypress balls. Then it is very difficult 

 to find them as they often remain for weeks in the impenetrable fastnesses of the vast wood- 

 ed tracks which, at this season, are submerged in water. Later, about the first of Febru- 



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