IfcO 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



PRKTRE'S AMAZON (Chrysotis pretrei), 



Green, with black edges to the feathers ; bend and 

 front edge of wing, bastaixl-wing, and primary-coverts 

 red ; some of the outermost greater upper wing-coverts 

 red. or spotted with red ; flights black, blue at tips and 

 green at base of outer webs ; central tail-feathers with 

 pale tips, lateral feathers with the terminal half 

 yellowish-green, the three outermost with small red 

 marks on the inner webs between the basal green, and 

 terminal yellowish areas; head, neck, and under surface 

 brighter green than .above, front of head, lores, orbital 

 region, and thighs, red ; inner webs of flights below 

 green; under tail-coverts yellowish-green ; beak yellow 

 with the base of upper mandible suffused with orange- 

 red ; feet pale grey; irides yellow. Female probably 

 with broader beak. Hab., " South-eastern Brazil and 

 Rio de la Plata." (Salvador!.) 



I have obtained no information respecting the wild 

 life. The first example exhibited at Regent's Park was 

 purchased in 1889, and the second in 1893. Russ says 

 it was first imported in 1883 by Faulring, of Dresden, 

 and then a single example was 'imported in 1885 by E. 

 Klaus and W. Bandermann, of Hamburg. In 1887 

 Schaurte (a chef) exhibited one at the " Ornis " show at 

 Berlin. 



WHITE-BROWED AMA/.ON- (Chrysotis albifrons). 



Green : the feathers of neck and back with narrow 

 dusky edges : upper tail-coverts yellowish-green ; bas- 

 tard wing and primary-coverts bright scarlet ; primaries 

 black, the outer webs blue at tip and green at base ; 

 secondaries with blue outer webs; tail green, with a 

 yellowish-green terminal belt, increasing in width from 

 the middle outwards, four outermost feathers red at 

 base ; forehead white, sometimes yellowish ; top of 

 crown blue ; lores and orbital region red ; greater 

 under wing-coverts and inner webs of flights below 

 verditor-green ; beak pale yellow ; cere and feet dull 

 white; irides yellowish-white. Female with shorter 

 beak, the terminal hook shorter and thicker. Hab., 

 '^Western Mexico from Sonora to Chiapas, Northern 

 Yucatan, and Guatemala on both sides of the Cordil- 

 leras, Nicaragua, and Western Costa Rica." (Salvadori.) 



Salvin says (" Proceedings of the Zoologicail Society," 

 p. 455) : " This ibird abounds in every part of Yucatan, 

 rarely entering the villages, though common near the 

 ranches, and frequently seen in the wild orange 

 groves, where it spends much of its time eating 

 the fruit of this tree. This bird is found domes- 

 ticated in almost every house, and learns to .speak quite 

 readily." 



Mr. C. Underwood, writing on the " Birds of the 

 Volcano of Miravalles ' (Tin- fbi*. 1896, p. 455) says: 

 " Plentiful, feeding on the fruit of the ' guagabo ' 

 (guava), an abundant tree in Miravalles, where it dots 

 the pasture-grounds, and is preserved, as the cattle are 

 very fond of the fruit." 



According to Russ ("Handbuch," p. 241), " Described 

 by Mrs. Arnold, of Munich, as lovable and clever, speaks 

 much, but only certain words clearly ; learns and forgets 

 quickly." 



The London Zoological Society purchased its first 

 specimen of this Amazon in January. 1878, and the 

 last recorded in the ninth edition of the " List of 

 Animals " was deposited in July. 1895. This bird has 

 sometimes been colled " Spectacle Parrot," but why is 

 not evident. 



YELLOW-LORED AMAZON (Chrysotis xantholora). 



Green, with black edges to the feathers ; upper tail- 

 coverts yellowish-green ; tips and inner webs of feathers 

 of the bastard-wing edged wifh blue ; smaller anterior 



upper wing-coverts and primary-coverts scarlet ; prima- 

 ries black, the second to fifth with their outer webs blue 

 towards the tips and green at the base ; inner primaries 

 and secondaries with the tips and outer webs deep 

 blue ; two central tail-feathers yellowish-green at the 

 tips, lateral feathers yellowish-green with crimson base ; 

 front of crown white ; top of crown blue ; lores yellow ; 

 orbital region, except in front, and upper part of cheeks- 

 red ; ear-coverts black ; greater under wing-coverts and 

 inner webs of flights 'below verditor-green ; beak yellow ; 

 feet dull white. Female apparently with more blue 

 on the crown, the forehead only being white, also with. 

 less crimson round the eye; the beak is less pointed 

 towards the tip, and has a shorter terminal hook. Hab., 

 "Yucatan, Cozumel Island, and British Honduras." 

 (Salvadori.) 



Mr. A. Boucard says (" Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society/' 1883, p 455): "This bird seems to be verjr 

 rare." He thinks the collector did not distinguish it 

 from C. albifrons. On the other hand, in Cozumel 

 Island, Mr. SalvH says (The Ibi, 1889, p. 374) many- 

 specimens, including iboth sexes and immature birds, 

 were obtained. He adds : " This is apparently the only 

 Parrot found on Cozumel Island." 



I have found no field-notes dealing with this species. 

 It was first secured by the London Zoological [Society 

 in 1875, a .second specimen being purchased the year 

 following ; the last example, reported in the n'inth 

 edition of the "List of Animals," was added to the 

 collection in 1886. Russ says it is very rare, yet fixes, 

 the price as from 20-30 marks. 



SALLE'S AMAZON (Chrysotis ventralis). 



Green, with black edges to the feathers; bastard- 

 wing, primary-coverts and secondaries 'blue, with: 

 bluish-green outer edges; primaries 'black, all but ther 

 first with deep blue outer webs, paler edged towards the 

 base ; lateral tail-feathers with yellow inner webs and 

 red bases, the outer feather with blue outer web ; fore- 

 head, lores, and a line under the eyes, white ; top of 

 head and upper part of cheeks duR blue ; a large black 

 patch on the ear-coverte ; middle of abdomen vinous- 

 red ; thighs bluish ; greater under wing-coverts and 

 inner w T elis of primaries below verditer-blue ; beak and 1 

 feet yellowish flesh-colour ; irides reddish. Female ap- 

 parently with smaller and rather narrower beak", with 

 slightly shorter terminal hook. Hab., San Domingo. 



Dr. C. Chrietv (The Ibis, 1897, p. 334) says that the' 

 local name of this bird is " Cotoro." He adds: "This 

 Parrot is common in San Domingo. Round Sanchez it 

 was to be met with at every turn, flying out of its 

 nesting-hole in some old palm-tree or in small parties 

 overhead, waking the echoes with their screeches. 



" I can testify from personal experience that the flesh 

 of this Parrot is very good eating, and it is much 

 esteemed by the natives, whom I often met coming- 

 home with a string of half a dozen or more shot with 

 their old -muzzle-loaders. 



"At times at Sanchez these birds afforded first-rate- 

 sport, for they flew with the greatest regularity from 

 their 'breeding'-haunts among the palm-trees 'in th > 

 swamp to the rice -fields and other feeding-grounds east- 

 ward, and back again in the evening, making all the- 

 way more noise than a flock of geese. When in return- 

 ing they found a strong wind against them, they were 

 obliged to fly directly over the town, and low down to 

 get the shelter of the hills, so that one onlv had t ) 

 take one's stand on the verandah, or behind a palm- 

 tree, or, better still, between two nouses, and shoot as 

 they passed over. But shooting wa s extremelv diffi- 

 cult, owing to the high wind, the speed at which th? 

 birds flew, and the suddenness with which they rosj- 



