222 PAROQUETS. 



ORDER PSITTACI. PARROTS, MACAWS, PAROQUETS, 



ETC. 



Family Psittacid^. Parrots and Paroquets. 



The order Psittaci is divided into six families containing in all 

 about five hundred species. The American species, some one hundred 

 and fifty in number, are included in the present family. Only one 

 species inhabits the United States, and it is not found south of our 

 boundaries. Parrots and Paroquets — the dividing line between the 

 two can not be sharply drawn — are forest-inhabiting, fruit- and seed- 

 eating birds. They are poor walkers, good climbers, and strong fliers, 

 making extended flights in search of food. Their voices in Nature 

 are harsh and discordant ; nevertheless, almost all the species possess 

 the power of speech. Some, however, rarely learn to talk, while others 

 invariably do. The red-tailed, gray African Parrot {Psittacus eryfha- 

 cus) takes first rank for ability in this direction, while the Mexican 

 Double Yellow-head {Amazona levaillanti) is usually accorded second 

 place. 



383. Conurus carolinensis {Linn.). Carolina Paroquet. (See 

 Fig. 34.) Ad. — Head and neck all around yellow ; foreliead and cheeks deep 

 orange ; bend of the Aving and tibia) orange ; rest of the plumage bright green ; 

 the inner vanes of the wing-feathers fuscous ; the under surface of the tail yel- 

 lowish. Im. — Similar, but the head and neck green like the back ; forehead 

 and region in front of the eye orange ; tibiae and bend of the wing without 

 orange. L., 12-50 ; W., 7-40 ; T., 6-50. 



Range. — Formerly eastern United States north to Maryland, the Great 

 Lakes, and Iowa ; west to Colorado, the Indian Territory, and eastern Texas ; 

 now restricted to a few localities in the wilder parts of Indian Territory and 

 Florida. (On the extermination of the Paroquet, see Ilasbrouck, Auk, viii, 

 1891, pp. 369-379, with map; and Butler, ibid., ix, 1892, pp. 49-56.) 



Nest., said to be in a hollow cypress or sycamore tree, but no exact, de- 

 tailed account of the nidification of this species has been published. Eggs., 

 two, white, 1-44 x 1-12. 



The complete extermination of the Paroquet throughout the greater 

 part of its range is due chiefly to four causes: first, it was destructive 

 to fruit orchards, and for this reason was killed by agriculturists; 

 second, it has been trapped and bagged in enormous numbers by pro- 

 fessional bird-catchers; third, it has been killed in myriads for its 

 plumage ; and, fourth, it has been wantonly slaughtered by so-called 

 sportsmen. In short, in the present century the Paroquet has always 

 disappeared soon after its haunts were invaded by civilized man. 



I made three visits to Florida before learning of a locality where 

 Paroquets could be found. Finally, in March, 1889, while collecting 



