CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 3. SCAxNSORES. 217 



Lorianm or Lories, found in Africa and Asia, and including some of the most intelligent of tl.e 

 family : the Plyctolophinw or Cockatoos, natives of Asia, the Asiatic Islands, and Australia • -md 

 the ParrakeeU, all small birds, some long-tailed and some short-tailed, and natives of various 

 countries* 



THE MACROCERCIN^ OR MACAWS. 



The Red and Blue Macaw, Psitta- 

 cus macao — Ara rouge of the French — 

 is one of the largest of the Parrot tribe, 

 being two feet and eight inches long ; 

 the head, neck, breast, belly, shanks, 

 upper part of the back, and superior 

 wing-coverts, a beautiful scarlet; the 

 lower part of the back and rump light 

 blue ; other parts variegated with blue, 

 yellow, green, and light brown. It is 

 a native of Brazil and Guiana, and is 

 generally to be met with in pairs in 

 swampy forests. Its beautiful plumage 

 is its chief recommendation for the 

 house, but it may be taught to utter a 

 few words, to know its name, and to 

 come at its master's call. It is, how- 

 ever, awkward in its movements, and 

 vicious in some of its habits. 



The Blue and Yellow Macaw, P. 

 Araraxma —Ara bleu of BufFon — is the 

 same length as the preceding, and is 

 riclily colored with green, blue, and 

 yellow ; found in Brazil, Guiana, and 

 some of the West Indies. Its qualifi- 

 cations as a cage-bird are similar to the 

 pi-eceding. 



The Great Green Macaw, P. mili- 

 tarls of Linnaeus, is two feet four inches 

 long; general color grass-green; the 

 rump blue ; very docile and talkative, 

 obedient, faithful, and good-tempered ; a 

 scarce species, found in South America. 



THE PSITTACIN.E OR TRUE PARROTS. 



The Blue-headed Vakkot, P. cyanocephalus, eleven inches long; finely colored with blue, 

 yellow, green, and violet ; found in the East Indies ; is very beautiful, but cannot be taught to speak. 



The Amboina Parrot, P. Amhoincnsis — called by the French U Aurore — is sixteen inches 

 long; the head, nape of the neck, and all the lower parts of the body vermilion ; upper part of the 

 body fine green ; a native of Amboina; it is wild, shy, whistles shrilly, but does not learn to talk. 



The Purple Parrot, P. Pennanti, Platycercus Pennanti of Gray — called Palm-Bird by deal- 

 ers — size of a sparrow-hawk ; prevailing color red, though the ground color is black ; tail dark 

 blue; scarce; very beautiful, but timid, and difficult to teach; native of Australia. 



The Whiskered Parrot, P. bimaculatus, fourteen inches long ; ground color grass green ; 

 beneath dark rose ; docile, talkative, and affectionate ; native of Australia, 



The Common Gray Parrot or Asii-colored Parrot, P. crythacus; nine inches long ; pre- 

 vailing color ash-gray ; tail scarlet, and short; found in Guinea and vicinity. It is one of the 

 most common and docile species ; it easily learns to speak and whistle, is fond of imitating tlie 

 voices of children, and prefers to be taught by them. It has a great turn for imitation ; one of 



Vol. II. — 28 



EED AND BLUE MACAW. 



