364 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



Psittacus, P. erithacus, the jako of west and central Africa is best known, but though 

 this species has been common in Europe for three hundred years, almost nothing is 

 known of its habits in its native country. One curious fact deserves mention. In 

 the Gulf of Guinea are two islands, St. Thomas and Prince's, separated by a distance of 

 less than a hundred miles. On the latter the gray parrots are extremely common, 

 " but not a single kite is met with on the island. On the neighboring island of St. 



FIG. 169. Sittace hyacinthina, hyacinth macaw. 



Thomas there is an abundance of black kites, but not a single parrot, between whom 

 and the kites a constant warfare is waged, so that, should one of the latter get driven 

 over to Prince's Island he is almost immediately set upon by the parrots and slaugh- 

 tered; and the compliment is returned if a parrot is so unfortunate as to land 

 uninvited on St. Thomas's." 



With the largest family of parrots, the CONURID^E, we turn our steps to the New 

 World, to which all of the ninety-three known species belong. They have strong bills, 



