584 ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1917. 



The plantain eaters are confined to Africa. One species, the 

 crested tonraco {Turacus corythcdx) may be seen in the bird house. 

 In this species the outer toe is completely reversible; at one moment 

 the bird may be perched with three toes forward, the next moment 

 one is startled to note but two, the outer toe having been quickh^ 

 turned behind. The plumage of the anterior half of the body is 

 of a beautiful green, the bill, eye ring, and some of the wing feathers 

 red, and the erect crest is tipped with white. 



PARROTS. 



Parrots, including macaws, cockatoos, lories, paroquets, etc., form one of the 

 most strongly marked groups of birds, as easily recognized by their peculiar 

 external aspect as defined by anatomical structure. * * * The tongue is 

 thick and fleshy, in some genera peculiarly brushy ; it has a horny nail on the 

 under side at the end, like a human finger, and with this and its papillje or 

 fringe on the other side forms a delicate tactile organ. * * * Ability to 

 articulate human speech is one of the most notorious faculties of certain par- 

 rots. * * * Finally, it may be noted in this connection that the bill is used 

 in climhing, like a hand, the upper mandible being much more freely movable 

 upon .the skull than is usual among birds. This mobility is secured by the 

 articulation instead of suture of the maxillse, premaxillse, and nasals with the 

 frontal, palatals, and jugals. The mandibular symphysis is strong, short, and 

 obtuse; the lower jaw is like a thumb as opposed to the fingerlike upper jaw, 

 and the jaws as a prehensile organ may be likened to the claw of a lobster. 

 ( Coues. ) 



Over 500 species of parrots and their allies are recognized and 

 these are distributed throughout the tropical countries of both the 

 Old World and America. Parrots are not confined to the Tropics, 

 however, since Australia and New Zealand support many species, 

 and in North America the Carolina parakeet formerly ranged north- 

 ward to Wisconsin. Australia, New Guinea, and South America are 

 especiallj^ rich in members of the parrot tribe. 



There is always a good representation of these birds in the 

 National Zoological Park. With the exception of the species kept 

 in the outdoor macaw cage near the west gate, all are exhibited in 

 the bird house. In the outdoor cage may be seen several hardy 

 species — the bare-eyed cockatoo {Cacatocs gyinnopis)^ the beautiful 

 roseate cockatoo {C. roseicapJUa) ^ the red-and-blue macaw {Ara 

 chloroptera) ^ and the red-and-yellov>'-and-blue macaw {A. macao). 

 The cockatoos are native to the Australian region and the Philippine 

 Islands. They are handsome birds, but their shrill shrieks arc 

 unpleasant to hear. Several other species are shown in the bird 

 house, including the sulphur-crested {C. gaJerita)^ a white species 

 with yellowish head tufts native to Australia and Tasmania; the 

 white {C. alba) ; the great red-crested [C. moluccensis) ; and the 

 beautiful rosy-tinted Leadbeater's cockatoo (C. leadheateri) . 



The macaws are tropical American birds, mostly of large size and 

 gaudy plumage. In addition to those in the outside cage, other 



