YELLOW-HEADED MACAW. ,261 



Latham has attributed Ara aracanga and ararauna 

 to Jamaica ; the former on the authority of Brisson. 



The latter, Browne (Hist. Jam. 472,) expressly 

 says he himself killed there. The Rev. Mr. Coward 

 at present Curate of Highgate, near Spanish Town, 

 informed me, that being in St. Elizabeth's, in a 

 plain at the foot of a chain of mountains dividing 

 that parish from St. James, and consequently nearly 

 in the medial line of the island, about 1842, one of 

 the party called, " look ! look ! " and looking up, 

 he saw two birds flying over-head, which he at once 

 saw were parrots, but of very large size : and he 

 was told that they were Macaws. On inquiring 

 further of those resident in the neighbourhood, to 

 whom the birds were familiar, he was informed that 

 their plumage was blue and yellow. These were 

 probably Ararauna. 



A letter just received from Mr. Hill, who kindly 

 assisted my inquiries on the subject, says ; " I have 

 ascertained with unquestionable certainty, that Ma- 

 caws are occasionally, if not constantly, denizens of 

 our mountain forests. They are found exclusively 

 in the central mountains westward of the island, 

 and are observed on the skirt of the partially cleared 

 country, at an elevation of 2500 or 3000 feet above 

 the sea. They have been surprised in small com- 

 panies feeding on the full-eared maize, while the 

 grain was soft, milky, and sweet, and the very husk 

 was sugary. Every description I have received of 

 them, makes the species to be the Ara militaris, the 

 Great Green Macaw of Mexico. The head is 

 spoken of as red ; the neck, shoulders, and under- 



