CHAPTER XLV. 



Half-moon (onure. 



[HIS is a pretty little South American species, very 

 hardy, and extremely engaging; it is not very 

 frequently imported and is sometimes confounded with 

 the Sun Parrakeet, from which, however, it differs 

 immensely in appearance ; for whereas the latter is 

 clothed in a plumage of various shades of yellow and 

 orange and has no green about it except a little on 

 the wings and tail, the Half-moon is nearly altogether 

 of that colour, but has an orange-yellow frontlet of a 

 crescentic shape to which it owes its English name. 



I had a pair of them for some time, but wanting 

 room for something of more importance, they had to 

 go. The female is a little smaller than the male, and 

 her "crescent" is of a paler tinge than that of her 

 mate. 



Some of these birds that I have seen could talk very 

 prettily, as well as whistle, so that on the whole I am 

 inclined to think favourably of them, although I did 

 not give mine an extended trial. 



Instances of their breeding successfully in confinement 

 are on record. 



The scientific name is Conurus aureus. 



