iBapuTar JBtrtianarg at &nimatrtt jtature. 397 



are easily tamed, and soon grow familiar 

 with persons they are accustomed to see ; 

 but, like all the Parrot tribe, they show an 

 aversion to strangers. They are particularly 

 fond of fruits, but in a domesticated state 

 they will feed on almost every article, more 

 especially sugar, bread, and fruits. Like 

 other Parrots, they use their claws with great 

 dexterity, though in climbing thev always 

 begin by taking hold with their bill in the 

 first instance, using their feet only as a 

 second point of their motion. They may 

 be taught to speak, but their articulation is 

 hoarse and unpleasant. Rarely, however, 

 are those which are brought to Europe 

 known to articulate more than a word or 

 two, and their general voice is a loud and 

 piercing scream. We have figured a lovely 

 Brazilian species called, from its fine hya- 

 cinthine plumage, the MACROCERCUS HTTA- 

 CINTIIINUS. It is not so common in aviaries 

 as the other species. 



The SCARLET MACAW. (Macrocercus 

 macao.} This bird is allowed to be the most 

 splendid with regard to colour, as well as 

 one of the largest of all the Psittacidce. 

 From the tip of the bill to the extremity 

 of the tail some of them measure thirty- 

 six inches. The arch of the upper man- 

 dible, from the forehead to the point of 

 the bill, is nearly three inches ; the upper 

 mandible is whitish, the lower black or 

 dusky. The nostrils are placed in the 

 upper part of the bill, just within the fea- 

 thers. The sides of the head are destitute 

 of feathers, and covered with a whitish, 

 wrinkled skin : the head, neck, breast, belly, 

 thighs, upper part of the back, and lesser 

 covert-feathers of the wings, are of a very 

 fine bright red or scarlet colour ; the quill- 

 feathers of the wings are externally of a 

 fine blue, and on their under sides of a 

 faint red : the first feathers next above the 

 quills are a bright yellow, some of the fea- 

 thers being tipped with green ; the blue 

 quills which fall next the back are tinged 

 with green ; and the hinder part of the thigh 

 has some green intermixed with the red. 

 The lower belly and covert-feathers under 

 the tail, as also the lower part of the back 

 and coverts on the upper side of the tail, 

 are of a very fine blue colour : the tail- 

 feathers gradually shorten towards the sides; 

 some of the longest or middle-feathers are 

 wholly red ; the shorter, or side-feathers, 

 are partly red and partly blue ; the legs and 

 feet are covered with dusky scales ; and the 

 toes are disposed two forwards and two 

 backwards, as ill others of the parrot tribe, 

 all armed with strong claws. This noble 

 bird, which occasionally varies in some 

 degree in point of size and colours, was 

 justly considered at its first introduction into 

 Europe as a present fit for royalty, and was 

 one of the principal ornaments in the halls 

 of palaces. 



BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW. (J/ocrocer 

 ararauna.) This species is less common 

 than the Scarlet Macaw, and but little in- 

 ferior in point of size. The bill is arched 

 and of a black colour : the nostrils are 

 placed at the base of the upper mandible, in 



a white bare skin, which extends all round 

 the eyes, this skin being variegated with 

 fine lines of small black feathers : imme- 

 diately under the bill is a large black spot, 

 which encompasses part of the bare white 

 space on the sides of the head : the feathers 

 on the top of the head are green, gradually 

 becoming blue on the neck : the upper side 

 of the neck, the back, and upper sides of 

 the wings and tail are of an exceeding fine 

 blue colour, the lesser wing-coverts and the 

 rump being a little tinged with green, and 

 the tail and upper sides of the quill-feathers 

 with purple : all the blue feathers of the 

 back, wings, and tail are of a reddish yellow 

 on their under sides : the fore part of the 

 neck, the breast, belly, thighs, and covert- 

 feathers under the tail, are of a fine yellow 

 orange-colour, except the hinder parts of 

 the thighs, where there is a little blue in- 

 termixed : the covert-feathers withinside 

 the wings are yellow, which appears out- 

 wardly on the ridge or joint in the upper 

 part of the wing : the legs and feet are nearly 

 black. 



BRAZILIAN GREEN MACAW. (Macrocercus 

 severus.) This bird is about the size of a 

 tame pigeon : the colour is a fine green ; 

 the bend of the shoulders and whole under 

 side of both wings and tail red : quill-fea- 

 thers and some of the larger coverts fine 

 blue : tail green above, but growing blue at 

 the tips ; the two middle feathers blue 

 throughout their whole length on the outer 

 edges : bill black, with flesh-coloured cere : 

 dark feathers round the bill : legs black, 

 with a feathery red zone round the bottom 

 of the thighs. It is said to be common in 

 Brazil, appearing in innumerable flocks, 

 and committing great devastation among 

 the coffee plantations, by devouring the ripe 

 berries. 



MACKEREL. (Scomber scomber.) This 

 well-known fish is one of the most beautiful 

 as regards the brilliancy of its colours, and 

 at the same time one of the most useful as 

 regards the food of man, among the inhabit- 

 ants of the watery element. It is a native 





IIACKERBL. (SCOMBER SCOMBER.) 



of the European and American seas, gene^ 

 rally appearing at stated seasons, in vast 

 shoals, round particular coasts. The pe- 

 riodical appearance of these large shoals 

 was formerly imputed to its migration from 

 north to south : but many facts are opposed 

 to this idea ; and there is abundant reason 

 to believe that it inhabits the deeper parts 

 of the seas around our island through the 

 whole year, and that its periodical appear- 

 ance on our coasts, in such vast numbers, is 

 solely due to its seeking the shore, for the 

 purpose of depositing its spawn. The obser- 



