222 



PAROQUETS. 



ORDER FSITTACI. PARROTS. MACAWS, PAROQUETS, 



ETC. 



^§ 



A 



Family PsiTTACiDiE. Parrots and Paroquets. 



The order Psittnci is divided into six fiunilies contuining in all 

 about five hundred species. The American species, some one hundred 

 and fifty in number, are included in 'he present family. Only one 

 species inhabits the United States, and it is not found south of our 

 boundaries. Parrots and Parocpiets — the dividing line between the 

 two can not be sharply drawn — are forest-inhabiting, fruit- and seed- 

 eating birds. They are poor walkers, good climbers, and strong fliers, 

 making extended flights in search of food. Their voices in Nature 

 are harsh and discordant ; nevertheless, almost all the species possess 

 the power of speech. Some, however, rarely learn to talk, while others 

 invariably do. The red-tailed, gray African Parrot {Psittacus erytha- 

 cus) takes first rank for ability in this direction, while the Mexican 

 Double Yellow-head {Amazuna hvaillaati) is usually accorded second 

 place. 



38S. Coniirus carolinensis (Linn.). Cakdlixa Pauoiu'et. (Sec 

 Fig. o4.) v/(/. — Hciitl iiiul iK'L'k nil iiroiiiul yellow; forelieiul and clu'cks deep 

 orange ; bend of tlie wing and tibiu' orange ; rest ot' tiie plumage bright green ; 

 the inner vanes of the wnig-feathers fuseous ; the under surfaee of the tail yel- 

 lowish. /;/(. — Similar, but the head and iieek green like the haek ; Ibreliead 

 and region in front of the eye orange; tiliiie and bend of the wing without 

 orange. L., 12-50; W., r'40; T., (J-50. 



RatHje. — Formerly eastern United States north to ^bu'vland, the Great 

 Lakes, and Iowa; west to Colorado, the Indian Territory, and eastern Texas; 

 now restrieted to a few loealities in the wilder parts of Indian Territory and 

 Florida. (On the extermiiuition of the Tanxiuet, sec Ilasbrouck, Auk, viii, 

 IS'Jl, jip. ;]C>lt-37lt, with map; and liutler, ibid., ix, 181»'J, pp. 4'J-r)G.) 



Ni'stn, said to be in a hollow cypress or syeamorc tree, but no exact, de- 

 tailed account of the nidification of this species has been published. J:'(jijSy 

 two, white, 1'44 x 1'12. 



The complete extermination of the Paroquet throughout the greater 

 part of its range is due chiefly to four causes: first, it was destructive 

 to fruit orchards, and for this reason was killed by agriculturists; 

 second, il has been trapped and liagged in enormous numbers by pro- 

 fessional l)ird-catchers ; third, it has been killed in myriads for its 

 plumage ; and, fourth, it has been wantonly slaughtered by so-called 

 sportsmen. In short, in the present century the Paroquet has always 

 disappeared soon after its haunts were invaded by civilized man. 



I nuule three visits to Florida before learning of a locality where 

 Paroquets could be found. Finally, in March, 1889, while collecting 



