FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



purchased by the Zoological Society, is published in 

 their '' Proceedings " for 1878. it was the first example 

 that Dr. Sclater had ever seen alive. Writing in The 

 Avicultural Mayaziiiu in 1897, the Rev. F. G. Dutton 

 says that he has only seen two (one of them being the 

 above-mentioned bird), and he found both of them ill- 

 tempered. On the other hand, Mr. Fulljames tells us 

 (The A ririi/fitral Muyazine, March, 1698) that his 

 Spix's Macaw " is one of the best-tempered birds in. the 

 collection." Canon Dutton evidently had not seen the 

 example deposited at the Gardens in 1894. Russ only 

 * | teaks of the bird as being extremely rare. 



As all bird-keepers know well, it is impossible to be 

 certain of the character of any species from a study of 

 one or two examples only. Even in the case of birds 

 which are generally ill-tempered and malicious, amiable 

 individuals may occasionally be met with. Moreover, 

 circumstances may alter cases, and a Parrot chained 

 by the leg to a stand may be excused for being more 

 morose than one in a roomy cage. 



BLL'E AND YELLOW MACAW (Ara ararauna). 



The prevailing colour of the upper parts is blue, the 

 forehead, crown, and rump being somewhat greenish ; 

 the primaries and tail-feathers above of a purplish- 

 indigo colour ; the feathered lines on the cheeks are 

 black ; the chin of the same 'Colour ; the lower part of 

 the face, throat, breast and belly saffron-yellow ; the 

 under tail-coverts greenish-blue ; the tail and wings 

 below yellow; the beak black; naked parts , of the face 

 white ; iris of eye yellow ; feet deep grey. Female 

 slightly smaller, :with shorter, narrower beaK, the ter- 

 minal hook shorter. Hab., Panama to Bolivia and 

 Guiana, and throughout the Amazon Valley. Like the 

 other Macaws, it inhabits wcoded districts, laying its 

 two eggs in a hole in the trunk of a tree ; it is usually 

 seen only in pairs, which may partly account for it's 

 limited importation to this country ; for although, next 

 ti> the Red and Blue Macaw, this is the best known 

 species of its group, it is perhaps less frequently to be 

 met with, excepting in zoological gardens. It is quite 

 as noisy a.s the other species. 



In his " Handbook " Dr. Russ gives no information 

 of importance respecting this species. As is well known, 

 it was bred as long ago as 1818 by Mr. Lamouroux ; the 

 hen nesting in a small barrel, pierced toward a third of 

 its height with a hole of about 6 inches in diameter, 

 and the bottom of vrhich contained a bed of sawdust 

 3 inches thick, on which the eggs were laid and 

 hatched. 



" In four years and a half, from the month of March, 

 1818. to the end of August, 1822, these birds laid sixty- 

 two eggs, in nineteen broods. Of this number twenty- 

 iive eggs produced young ones, of which ten only died ; 

 the others lived, and became perfectly accustomed to 

 the climate. They laid eggs at all seasons ; and the 

 broods became more frequent and more prcductive in 

 the course of time, and in the end much fewer wen- 

 lost. The number of eggs in the nest used to vary, six 

 having been together at one time; and these Macaws 

 were seen to bring up four young ones at once. Th:v<- 

 eggs took from twenty to twenty-five davs to be 

 hatched, like those of our common hens. Their form 

 was that of a pear, a little flattened, and their length 

 equal to that of a pigeon's egg. Tt vas only between 

 the fifteenth and five-and-twentieth day that the youiur 

 ones became covered with a very thick down, soft. ;md 

 of whitish slate-grey. The feathers did not bp'_rin to 

 make their appearance until towards the- thirtieth dav. 

 and took two months to acquire their full growth. If 

 was a dozen or fifteen months before the young ariive-! 

 to the size of their parents, but their plumage had all 



its beauty from six months old. At three months old 

 they abandoned the nest and could eat alone. Up to 

 this period they had been fed by their father and 

 mother, which disgorged the focd from their bill in 

 the same manner as pigeons do." 



This species was first exhibited by the London Zoo- 

 logical Society in 1859, since which time specimens 

 have been frequently added to the collection, sometimes 

 several in one year ; thus in 1871 no less than four were 

 either presented or deposited, and in 1884 five were 

 added, and in 1888 four, in 1889 three; altogether, I 

 suppose something like five dozen examples must have 

 found their way to the Regent's Park Gardens. 



RED AND BLUE MACAW (Ara macao). 



Prevailing colour, scarlet ; the scapularies, greater 

 and median wing-coverts above, yellow tipped with 

 green ; flights above, blue ; lower back, rump, upper 

 and under tail-coverts, pale blue ; tail-feathers with 

 black shafts, the two centre ones faintly tipped with 

 blue, which increases externally, the three outermost 

 feathers being almost entirely blue above ; wings ami 

 tail below mostly orange-vermilion, the greater wing- 

 coverts being, ho vt ever, brownish, and the three outer 

 tail-feathers very dark ; feet blackish ; beak with white 

 upper mandible tipped with black, lower mandible 

 black ; naked skin of cheeks dull flesh-coloured ; iris 

 yellowish-white. Female smaller ; the beak shorter and 

 with shorter terminal hook. Hab., Mexico, through 

 Central America to Bolivia, Guiana, and the Amazon 

 Valley. 



Speaking of this species, as observed by him in Costa 

 Rica, Mr. A. Boucard says: " Common at San Carlos. 

 Every morning they fly about in large flocks. In the 

 daytime you can see them in the forest eating fruit ; 

 they are easily detected by the noise they make, and by 

 the rejected pieces of fruit constant!; falling down from 

 the trees on which they are perched." 



While describing the cultivation of the tonca-bean 

 tree, Eugene Andre says ("A Naturalist in the 

 Guianas,'' p. 8) : " During the months of October and 

 November, while the fruit is still quite small and green, 

 the large Macaws and several other members of the 

 Parrot family commit great havoc upon the young 

 crop." 



Dr. Russ speaks of this Macaw as common in zoo- 

 logical gardens, much admired on account of its 

 splendid colouring, endures for many years ; like the 

 allied species, much attached to those of its kind, 

 easily comes to grief through plucking itself. A bird 

 belonging to Mr. Czarnikow, at the " Ornis " Exhibi- 

 tion of 1879, could speak about a hundred words. 



Doubtless the plucking spoken of by Russ is due to 

 improper food offered to these birds by visitors to the 

 Gardens. 



First deposited at the London Gardens in 1859 ; since 

 which time a good many examples have been exhibited 

 there, though far fewer than of the " Blue and Y'ellow " 

 species. 



RED AND YELL<;W MACAW {Ara 



Dee]> crimson ; the lower back, rump, upper ami 

 under tail-coverts pale blue; lesser wing-coverts deep 

 crimson; median coverts olive-green; greater coverts 

 blue, but the innermost ones and the scapulars olive- 

 green tinged with blue ; flights blue ; two middle tail- 

 feathers deep red tipned with blue; the next two p;r'rs 

 blue, v/ith broad red edges to both webs towards the 

 base; remaining feathers almost wholly blue; flights 

 and tail below golden red ; naked skin on sides of bend 

 flesh-colour lined with red feathers ; upper mandible 

 horn-white, black at base of edges ; lower mandible 



