134 THE GEEY-BEEASTED PAKROT. 



ring at the juncture of the neck and breast. The whole, upper 

 part of the body is leek green, becoming darker on the head, 

 and each feather having a black shaft. The pen feathers are 

 blackish green, somewhat tinged with blue on the outer plume. 

 On the tail and wing coverts, the colour of the upper part of 

 the body inclines to a lighter, or Siskin green. The under wing 

 coverts are crimson ; the lower part of the body is light green, 

 tinged on the breast with red ; the knees are crimson ; the 

 under side of the wings and tail a dirty yellow. 



Observations. This bird is very lively, learns to speak dis- 

 tinctly, and in an agreeable tone, and cries " Goeur ! goeur /" 

 frequently and loudly. It is treated like other Parrots, and, as 

 the example from which this description is taken proves, attains 

 a very great age. 



35. THE GEEY-BEEASTED PAEEOT. 



Psittacus Murinus, LIN. La Perruche a poitrine grise, BUF. Der 

 graulriistige Sittich, BECH. 



Description. This pretty Parrot, distinguished by its silvery 

 grey colour, is about the size of the preceding. As the fea- 

 thers of the head and cheeks are usually somewhat puffed out, 

 and the beak is small, very much curved, and often buried in its 

 breast, the bird has frequently something of an Owlish appear- 

 ance. It is ten inches in length, of which the wedge-shaped 

 tail measures five inches. The beak is only three quarters of 

 an inch long, very much curved downwards, and light grey or 

 flesh ccjc'ir. On each side of the upper mandible are four 

 sharp angles, and the tip of the lower mandible has the appear- 

 ance of having been cut off. The iris is brownish grey ; the 

 circle of the eyes narrow, hollow, and light ashen grey ; the 

 feet are of the same colour. The forehead, half way up the 

 top of the head, cheeks, throat, breast, and half the belly, are 

 light or silver grey. The breast is clouded with white, pro- 

 ducing at a distance the effect of transverse stripes, and the 

 belly is mottled with yellow. The upper part of the body is 

 a beautiful Siskin green, somewhat lighter on the head and 

 shoulders, and therefore inclining to yellow. The remaining 

 lower part of the body, with the rump, is apple green ; the 

 foremost pen feathers are blue, though having the inner plume, 

 which is hidden, black, and the outer plume bordered with 

 green. The hinder pen feathers are olive green ; the tail 



