CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 3. SCANSORES. 



221 



]lowish-green ; easily taught to speak, whistle, and imitate the cries of birds and animals ; it is, 

 liowever, excessively noisy, and sometimes becomes very wearisome on this account. 

 I The Red and Blue-headed Parrakeet, P. 



cunkularis, is ten inches long ; prevailing color 

 grass-green ; native of South America ; a hand- 

 some species, but never learns to speak well. 



The Cardinal Parrot, P. cardinalis^twelvo 

 inches long ; head violet, tinged with blue and 

 red ; a black band around the neck ; upper part 

 of the body dark green ; lower part lifjht green. 

 There are several varieties, as the Blonsojn- head- 

 ed Parrakeet^ Rose-headed Rincj Parrakeet^ and 

 Bornean Parrakeet. They are noisy birds, but 

 cannot be taught to speak, and are only valued 

 for their beauty ; found in India. 



The Little Rose-ringed Parrakeet, P.pul- 

 larius — called Guinea- Sparrow by the bird-sell- 

 ers — is but six inches long, the size of a cedar- 

 bird ; general color green ; their cry is unpleas- 

 ant, and they cannot be taught to speak ; but they 

 are affectionate to each other and are beautiful 

 and pleasing; natives of Guinea, India, and Java. 

 The Little Blue and Green Parrakeet, P- 

 passerinus, four inches long, size of a sparrow ; 

 general color green ; rump blue ; cannot speak ; 

 native of Brazil and Guiana. The two preceding 

 belong to the genus Psittacula or Love-Birds, 

 having short, square tails. 



The Warbling Grass Parrakeet, Melopsit- 

 tacus undiclatus, is found in large flocks in Aus- 

 tralia, where they feed on the seeds of grasses ; 

 they are minute, elegant creatures, with long tails, 

 and instead of a screech, have a soft, warbling note. 

 The Ground Parrakeet, Pezoporus formosus, of the same regions, is a foot long; beautifully 



colored with green, black, and brown; lives entirely on 

 the ground. The Ny')np)hilus Novce Hollandiai is also 

 one of the ground parrakeets, of the same size as the 

 preceding ; general color yellow ; so abundant in Aus- 

 tralia that, as Mr. Gould tells us, a gentleman shot two 

 hundred in a single excursion. 



The Pigmy Microsfitt a, Microspittapi/ffi7ia;a, is four 

 inches long ; green above and yellow below ; the tail 

 brown. It is said to be the smallest of parrots ; found 

 in the Polynesian islands. 



THE COCKATOOS. 

 The Great White Crested Cockatoo, Pbjc/nlophns 

 cristatus, is seventeen inches long; the whole plumage 

 white, except some slight patches of sulphur-color ; the 

 crest on the head five inches long, and is elevated or 

 depressed at will. It is generally kept in a large, ball- 

 shaped Avirc cage, provided with two perches and a 

 large metal ring, in which it likes to swing. It is very 

 tame and gentle, but is taught to speak with difficulty ; 

 a native of the Moluccas. 



NTMPHILUS NOV^ HOLLANDI^. 



LOVE-BIRD. 



