CAROLINA PAROKEET. 249 



COLOR. Adult. Hend nnd neck nllarouml, bright. yellow, with (lie forehead above eyeand sides of head, yellowish-red. 

 Body, green generally, lighter beneath. Outer welw of primaries, bluish-green, yellow at the base. Wing coverts, blu- 

 ish-green, yellow nt base. Kdge of wing, yellow tinged with red. Twomiilcile tail feathers, and outer webs of remainder, 

 preen, but the inner webs are reddish. Tibia, yellow. Bill, white. Iris, dark-brown. Naked ring around eye, white. 

 Feet, pinkish-white. 



Youay. Quite similar to the adult in general appearance but with the yellow on the head spotted with more or less 

 green. 



Youny of the year. Head and neck, wholly green, and the tail is short. The red and yellow of the head are not acquired 

 until niter the second moult and the full dres is not assumed until the third year. 



Nesl/inys. One of my rollertors, who found the young in the nest, informs me that they are covered with a grayish 

 down. Sexes, similar in all stages. . 



OBSERVATIONS. 



lleadily known from other species, by the colors as described. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout Middle 

 Florida and rarely, at intervals, along the Mississippi River to Southern Illinois. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimen" from Florida. Length, 13-25; stretch, 22 30; wing, 7-25; tail, 6'30; bill, I'OO; 

 tarsus -TO. I. ni-,-t -j.eeimen, 14'00; greatest extent of wing, 2-2-50; longest wing, 7'75; tail, 6'50; bill, 1-10; tarsus, -75*. 

 Shortest specimen, 12-50; smallest extent of wing, 21-00; shortest wing, 6-50; tail, 5'90; bill, '90; tarsus, -65. 



DESCRIPTION OF NEST'S AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in holes of trees, generally some natural cavity of a large size. A number of pairs breed together in the 

 same Imle. 



F.'iijs, are, as I have lieen informed by those who have seen them, greenish-white in color and of about the same size 

 as those of the Turtle Dove. There are, I believe, no authentic specimens in collections. 



HABITS. 



There were no birds for which I looked with greater interest than the Parokeets but, 

 although I searched diligently for them throughout the winter of my first visit to Florida, 

 I did not meet with them in the state of nature until April, 1869. I was walking across 

 some fields on a plantation near the Mantanzas River, some twenty-five miles south" of St. 

 Augustine, when I observed a large flock of Parokeets moving along the ground. I ap- 

 proached within a few yards of the birds and watched them for some time but they did not 

 appear to pay the slightest attention to me; thus I had an excellent opportunity of noting 

 their actions. At first, I could not make out what they were doing but soon found that 

 they were busily engaged in eating cockspurs, the seeds of a species of grass which grows 

 very abundantly in old fields. They walked quite well for birds having such short legs 

 and, in pressing forward, moved side by side in a long rank, looking exactly like minia- 

 ture soldiers. After a few moments, something started them and they rose, wheeled about, 

 darting rapidly up and down, precisely like pigeons, at the same time, uttering loud cries; 

 then settled quietly down again and resumed their meal, as composedly as if nothing had 

 occurred to interrupt. 



This is the only time that I ever chanced to see the Parokeets feeding on the ground 

 but I have been informed by the inhabitants of Florida, that they are very fond of the 

 cockspurs and will frequently alight in the fields in order to eat them. Early in winter, 

 they visit the swamps, where they feed upon the cypress balls. Then it is very difficult 

 to find them as they often remain for weeks in the impenetrable fastnesses of the vast wood- 

 ed tracks which, at this season, are submerged in water. Later, about the first of Febru- 



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