118 L.iHGE-BEAXED BIRDS. 



III. LARGE-BEAKED BIEDS.* 



THE characteristics of this class of birds are a very large beak, 

 generally hollow, and therefore very light, curved above, and 

 hooked at the point ; short and strong feet, in the species which 

 we are about to describe, adapted for climbing ; and a large 

 tongue, fleshy, and rounded like the human tongue, which 

 renders it easy for them to learn to speak. They are foreign 

 birds, and if intended to talk, must be reared from the nest. 



ADDITIONAL. Acccording to VIGORS, SWAINSON, and other 

 eminent ornithologists of this country, the Psittacida, or Parrot 

 family, belong to the order Incessores, which is included in that 

 primary division to which the name Scansores has been applied, 

 from the climbing and prehensile powers of its typical members. 

 This tribe or division seems naturally to resolve itself into five 

 circular groups or families, the representatives of the other four 

 being the Picidce, or Woodpeckers ; the jRampkastidce, or Tou- 

 cans ; the Cuculidce, or Cuckoos ; and the Certhiadce, or Creepers. 

 In the Linnsean and other artificial systems, the Parrots were 

 considered as forming a single isolated genus, termed Psittacus, 

 and under this generic term was included the Macaws, the Cock- 

 atoos, the Lories, the Parrakeets, &c., the various modifications 

 of form exhibited by them being considered in the light of specific 

 characters only. The enlightened and scientific views of recent 

 naturalists have, however, led to a new order of arrangement, in 

 which this erewhile genus Psittacus has taken its proper rank 

 as a family, divided into groups or sub-families, of which SWAIN- 

 SON distinguishes five, as under-mentioned, although, as SELBY 

 remarks, " a stricter examination and analysis is required to as- 

 certain the precise situation of species whose history is but little 

 known." 



1st sub-family. Macrocercina, or Macaws, a splendidly attired 

 group of birds, whose habitat appears to be confined to America ; 

 included in this group are those birds of nearly allied character- 

 istics, distinguished by the generic titles of Arara, Aratinga, and 

 Psittacara, and also the genus Palceornis, belonging to the old 

 continent, the representative in its own circle, according to 

 SWAINSON, of the raptorial order, and analogous to the dentiros- 

 tral tribe of the Incessores. 



2d sub-family. Psitticina, or Parrots, properly so called, the 



* Levirostres Grosschnabliche Vogel, BECH. 



