THE HYACIXTHINE M.\rr.\\ 



-BIRDS. THE ALEXANDRIXE PARROQUET. 



375 



the coffee plantations, where it does an immense amount 

 of damage by devouring the berries. In captivity it is 

 said to be tolerably docile, but to exhibit the most vio- 

 lent jealousy if its owner should bestow any kindriess 

 upon another pet, especially if the latter be a member 

 of the parrot tribe. 



THE HYACLNTHINE MACCAW (Macrocercus hyacin- 

 thinus) differs considerably in its appearance from the 

 preceding species, its plumage being of a rich hyacin- 

 thine blue, with the quill-feathers of the wings and tail 

 violet-blue, glossed with green. The naked cheeks and 

 the chin are yellow, and the bill and feet are black. 

 This beautiful bird, which is a native of Brazil, does 

 not appear to be so abundant there as some of the other 

 maccaws ; at least it is far less frequently imported into 

 Europe. Its length is about twenty-eight inches. 



THE YELLOW PARROQUET (Conurus solstilialis) 

 Plate 15, fig. 50 is one of the maccaw parroquets just 

 alluded to, which differ from the true maccaws in the 

 smaller size of the bill, and of the naked space on the 

 cheeks. Like the maccaws, these birds have a long, 

 graduated tail. The Yellow Parroquet is remarkable 

 in this group, as being the only known species of this 

 group of naked-cheeked parrots which is found out of 

 America, it being a native of Western Africa, whence, 

 however, it has been introduced into Brazil, where it is 

 now met with in a wild state. It measures about eleven 

 inches in length, and is of a yellow colour above, and 

 orange beneath ; the top of the head is also orange ; the 

 wing-quills are margined with green and tipped with 

 blue ; the two middle feathers of the tail are green with 

 blue tips, and the rest of the tail-feathers are blue. 



THE GUIANA PARROQUET (Conurus guia.ne.nsis) is 

 a native of Guiana, and of other parts of tropical 

 America, including the West Indian islands. It is about 

 twelve inches long, and of a green colour, spotted with 

 red on the cheeks ; the lesser under wing-coverts are 

 scarlet, and the greater ones yellow. This bird flies in 

 large flocks, and is described as very injurious to the 

 coffee plantations. In captivity it is said to exhibit a 

 greater aptitude for learning to speak than any other 

 parroquet ; and Le Vaillant mentions his having seen 

 a specimen so accomplished as to be able to say the 

 Lord's prayer in Dutch, at the same time folding its 

 feet together in the attitude of devotion. 



THE PATAGONIAN PARROT (Conurus patayonicus), 

 although not by any means remarkable for the beauty 

 of its plumage, is worthy of notice on account of its 

 advancing so far from the tropics as the southern extre- 

 mity of the American continent. It is commonly met 

 with in Paraguay, Buenos Ayres, and Chili, inhabiting 

 the mountains at considerable elevations, especially in 

 the summer, but descending towards the autumn nearer 

 to the plains, where it collects in great flocks, and often 

 does much injury to the cultivated grounds. Its general 

 colour is a grayish-green, but the sides of the abdomen 

 are yellow, and its centre bright scarlet. The total 

 length of this bird is about seventeen inches. 



THE CAROLINA PARROQUET (Conurus carolinensis). 

 Of the numerous other species of this genus we need 

 only notice the Carolina Parroquet, which is indigenous 

 to the United States of North America, and advances 

 as far as the shores of Lake Michigan. It is fourteen 



inches in length, and its general colour is a bright silky 

 green ; the forehead and cheeks are reddish-orange, and 

 the neck rich yellow. The Carolina Parroquets are 

 found in Mexico, and extend thence through the central 

 valley of North America to the temperate regions ; they 

 appear to be permanently resident even in the latter, 

 as Wilson states that he had seen them on the banks 

 of the Ohio in February, flying about in a snow storm. 

 They are sociable birds, flying in large flocks, and 

 exhibiting a great deal of fondness for each other; they 

 may be seen sitting close together, and scratching each 

 other's heads most affectionately. Their favourite food 

 consists of the seeds of various plants, especially those of 

 the cockle-burr (Xanihium strumarium), cypress, hack- 

 berry, and birch; and it is partly to the abundance of 

 these in the valley of the Mississippi, that Wilson attri- 

 butes the restriction of the parroquets to that tract of 

 country. They are also exceedingly fond of resorting 

 to the salt springs or salt licks which abound in the 

 same region ; these they visit, for the purpose of drink- 

 ing the water, early in the morning, usually about an 

 hour after sunrise. They come in great flocks ; and, 

 on alighting on the ground, they give it the appearance 

 of being covered with a carpet of the most vivid green, 

 orange, and yellow tints. 



THE ALEXANDRINE PARROQUET (Palceornis Alcx- 

 andri). Amongst the parroquets of the Old World, 

 which, unlike the preceding, have no naked skin upon 

 the sides of the face, several species inhabiting India 

 and its islands have been formed into a genus called 

 Palceornis by Vigors, from some of its members having 

 been evidently the parrots best known to the ancients. 

 The present species is indeed supposed to be the only 

 one known to the Greeks, having been brought from 

 India by the followers of Alexander the Great, from 

 which circumstance it has received its specific name. 



The Alexandrine Parroquet, an elegant and favourite 

 species, is fifteen inches in length, including its long, 

 graduated tail ; its body is about the size of that of a 

 pigeon. Its general colour is a beautiful bright green, 

 paler beneath ; the lesser wing-coverts are purplish-red, 

 and across the back of the neck is a beautiful collar of 

 the same colour, bounded above by a black line, which 

 is continued up on each side to the base of the lower 

 mandible. The bill is bright orange-red. This beau- | 

 tiful bird is abundant in all parts of India, especially in 

 the hilly districts, and also occurs in great numbers in 

 Ceylon. The young are easily tamed, when they become 

 very docile, and may be easily taught to speak a few 

 words. 



THE ROSE-RINGED PARROQUET (Palosornis torqua- 

 tus) is still more abundant in India than the preceding 

 species, and is fond of dwelling in the vicinity of human 

 habitations, frequently even breeding in the cavities of 

 buildings. It is about the same size as the Alexandrine 

 Parrroquet, and like it of a fine green colour; it has the 

 throat and a collar black, and the band on the back of 

 the neck is rose colour. It is said to be very destruc- 

 tive to the grain crops in India. 



THE MALACCA RING PARROQUET (Palceornis longi- 

 ccatda) is another green species, but in this bird the 

 whole of the cheeks and back part of the neck are of a 

 deep rose colour, bounded beneath by a pair of broad 



