66 Fav.ourite Foreign Birds. 



appearance, but there the likeness ends, for it is one 

 of the most gentle and playful of Parrots, and one 

 that I can heartily recommend to fanciers in search 

 of an intelligent, handsome, and most amusing pet. 



THE CONURES, or WEDGE-TAILED PARROTS, classed 

 at the "Zoo" with the Macaws, are a very distinct 

 group, placed by some writers in a separate sub-family 

 under the designation Conurinas, which fits passing 

 well. The most conspicuous are THE GOLDEN CONURE, 

 C. luteus, which, as its name implies, is of a golden- 

 yellow colour generally, but has a white bill and 

 green wings ; it is very rare and expensive, but a 

 delightful bird. THE YELLOW CONURE, C. solstitialis, 

 also called THE SUN PARRAKEET ; THE NANDAY, 

 C. nanday, a green bird with a black head; THE JENDAYA 

 CONURE, C. jendaya, which rings the changes in red 

 and yellow and green, and is much sought after by 

 amateurs who love gaudy plumage ; and THE WHITE- 

 EARED CONURE, C. leucotis, which is an exceedingly 

 pretty little bird, much smaller than any of the pre- 

 ceding ; but I must warn amateurs against it, and 

 indeed all the Conures, except the Golden, as they 

 are very spiteful in a mixed aviary, and will re- 

 morselessly persecute and kill birds twice their 

 size as I found to my cost. 



THE QUAKER PARRAKEET, Bolborhynchus monachus, 

 has been separated from its allies and placed in a 

 genus by itself, possibly on account of its nest- 

 building proclivities. It is curious that it should have 

 made such a wide departure from the habits of the 

 race as to build itself a nest of sticks in a tree; but 

 it has. As the Quaker Parrakeet is a very free breeder 



