THE CAROLINA PARROT. 135 



Siskin green, the feathers having blue shafts, and being tipped 

 with greenish yellow ; the two centre feather, which are con- 

 cealed, are blueish green. 



Observations. This bird is very tame, learns to speak a word 

 or two, and is of a very quiet disposition. Its call, "keirsh. 1 " is 

 loud and sonorous. It is the species of which PARNETTY speaks 

 in his Travels. " These birds," he says, " we found at Monte- 

 video, where they were bought by the sailors for two piastres 

 each. They were very tame and harmless, learned to talk 

 without difficulty, and grfew so fond of the men, as never to 

 be easy away from them. The general belief is, that when 

 confined, they do not live above a year." This last opinion is, 

 however, confuted, by the example from which this descrip- 

 tion has been taken. 



36. THE CAROLINA PARROT. 



Psittacus Carolinensis, LIN. JM ^erruche a ietejauiie, BUF. Der Caro- 

 liuische <Sittich, BECH. 



Description. This bird, which is about the size of a Turtle- 

 dove, is thirteen inches in length. The beak 'is yellowish 

 white, and, as well as the eyes, surrounded by a bare light grey 

 skin. The iris is light yellow ; the feet and claws grey. The 

 front of the head is orange ; the back of the head, nape of 

 the neck, and throat, light yellow ; the rest of the neck, the 

 back, breast, and sides, as well as the upper and under tail 

 coverts, are green. The thighs are green, but near the joint 

 orange ; the edges of the wings are orange. The wing coverts 

 are green on the upper side, and brown beneath ; the smaller 

 coverts green on both sides. The foremost pen feathers are on 

 the inner side brown ; on the outer side, near the root, light 

 yellow, and then green, with tips inclining to blue. The 

 hinder pen feathers are, on the upper side green, on the inner 

 and lower side brown ; the tail is green and wedge shaped. 



Observations. This Parrot is a native of Guiana, and mi- 

 grates in autumn to Carolina and Virginia. It also builds, 

 however, in Carolina. In the fruit season it does great damage, 

 eating only the kernels of stone fruit, and leaving the rest. It 

 is frequently brought to Europe, and when in confinement, is 

 best fed on hemp seed. It is a very noisy bird, and a poor 



* This bird is probably identical with the Psitlacus Ludoviciantts, LIN. 

 Papagai a tete aurore t BUF. 



