156 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



logical Society of London in 1871, and a second one 

 was acquired by exchange in 1880 ; the Hon. and Rev. 

 F. G. Dutton (The Arimlfural Magazine, Vol. IV.. p. 

 173) speaks of a third which he saw there on deposit, 

 and which he says is "the only really fascinating Conure 

 T have seen. You could swing it about by one leg or 

 by the tail ; it would lie on its 'back in your hand, and 

 delighted in being played with ; it was 

 said' to be a good talker."* On the 

 other hand. Prince Ferdinand of Saxe- 

 Coburg-Gotha considered the bird 

 apathetic and wearisome ; he said that 

 it gnawed through a lot of wood, but 

 had no objectionable cry. It is per- 

 fectly evident that with this, as Avith 

 meet birds, individuals differ greatly. 



YELLOW CONURE (Conurus solstitialis). 



Yellow ; tinged with orange on the 

 lower back, rump, forehead, sides of 

 head, lower breast and abdomen ; 

 sometimes all over the yellow feathers ; 

 greater upper wing-coverts green, 

 irregularly tipped with yellow ; bas- 

 tard - wing. primary - coverts, and 

 secondaries dark blue margined with 

 green externally ; primaries with the 

 outer web green towards base, blue 

 towards tips ; tail olive-green towa.rds 

 base, blue towards tips, the outer 

 feathers on each side with the outer 

 web entirely blue ; under wing-coverts 

 wholly yellow ; nights and tail- 

 feathers below olive, dusky towards 

 tips; beak brownish horn-grey; feet 

 flesh-brown, claws black; i rides dark 

 brown. Female with shorter and 

 slightly narrower beak, not quite so 

 deep when viewed in profile. Hub., 

 Guiana and Rio Brancho. 



Much valued by the natives in its 

 own country, and on that account 

 tamed, so that in some villages from 

 twenty to thirty may be seen, flying 

 about at liberty. 



Russ mentions, on the authority of 

 Mr. H. Gadeau de Cerville, of Rouen, 

 that a pair was in the possession of 

 his wife from 1872, which in summer was confined in 

 an open-air aviary, from October to April in a heated 

 room. The female for four years did not lay in the 

 aviary, but in the following four years laid no less than 

 twenty-nine eggs, four to six to a clutch. When the 

 male died in 1881, it was immediately replaced, and 

 this pair after two years nested successfully. The 

 female laid four eggs in July and three in August ; in- 

 cubated alone ; the duration of incubation was three 

 weeks. The young were fed by both male and female ; 

 they remained three months in the nest-box. Xestling- 

 down short, whitish-grey. At four months the you in: 

 plumage was green above, slightly mixed with yellow ; 

 wing and tail feathers pale yellow at base, deep blue 

 at tips ; crown, back of head' and sides of head oranpe- 

 yo low. more or j<-ss mtcnish : mid: > surface gresnish- 

 yellow. abdomen pale red ; eyes dark brown ; naked 

 orbital ring pale flesh-coloured, surrounded by reddish 

 feathers ; beak brownish-black ; feet brownish, claws 



black. He furthermore says that this Conure is easy 

 to tame, and gifted as a talker. Canon Dutton, how- 

 ever, says that " Russ makes no remark upon their 

 qualities as pets." 



The Zoological Society of London first acquired this 

 bird in 1862, since which date other examples have been 

 purchased by or presented to that body. 



* He aJso mentions two young examples which he saw in Mr. 

 Bartlett'a possession. 



YELLOW CONUIJK. 



