THE PARRAQUET GROUP 1889 



shape, and color similar to those of the wood pigeon; when- unblown they are of a 

 pinkish hue, which may be owing to the thinness of the shell. Both birds take 

 turns to sit, and while one is sitting the other often comes and feeds it out of its 

 crop. The young ones are fed in the same way. In time of danger the old birds 

 defend their progeny vigorously, and should the enemy prove too strong to be suc- 

 cessfully resisted by one, other parrots come up to their assistance, and, joining 

 forces, either kill or put the aggressor to flight. The gray parrot delights to dwell 

 in companies; many nests are found within a few feet of each other, and often in 

 one tree two or more holes may be seen occupied by hatching pairs. The young 

 birds are covered with a long and fluffy down, which afterward, when molting, 

 falls off. Their first plumage is darker, and the iris dark gray, instead of pale 

 yellow. They leave the nest when about four weeks old, but may be seen looking 

 outside the hole some time before they are able to fly. ' ' In captivity this parrot is 

 the best of talkers, and, did space permit, many interesting anecdotes might be 

 quoted relative to this accomplishment. Contrary to what usually prevails among 

 higher bipeds, the male is commonly the more voluble and fluent speaker of the 

 two, although the female pronounces her words more distinctly. L,ike most parrots, 

 this species attains a great age, and there seems no doubt that examples have been 

 kept in captivity for periods of between sixty and eighty years. Whether, how- 

 ever, they have lived in this state for upward of a century, as reported, seems doubt- 

 ful. The anecdote of the old lady of eighty, who purchased a parrot with the view 

 of testing by experiment the truth of such report, is probably well known to our 

 readers. 



- Five peculiar parrots inhabiting Madagascar and certain neighbor- 



ing islands, constitute a genus easily recognized by their black or 

 blackish-brown plumage, which gives them at a distance somewhat the appearance 

 of crows. The region round the eye is naked, the lore also partially bare, and the 

 whitish bill somewhat thickened and swollen. The greater vasa (Coraccpsis vasa) 

 attains a length of about twenty inches. Although common in their native islands, 

 very little is known of the habits of these parrots in the wild state. The few that 

 are brought to Europe are readily tamed, and soon learn to talk. 



This species {Dasypterus perqueti ) is distinguished from its Mala- 



' gasy allies by its longer and shallower beak, and the larger amount of 



Parrot bare s ^^ n on t ^ ie sides f tne ra c e - The general sable hue is relieved 



by a red band on either side of the back of the head; while the under 



wing coverts are likewise red 



THE PARRAQUET GROUP 

 Subfamily 



The true parraquets, together with the love birds and certain other allied 

 forms, constitute a fifth subfamily, confined to the Eastern Hemisphere, but exceed- 

 ingly difficult to define from external characteristics. All of them differ, however, 

 119 



