378 



ScANSORKS.- 



-BIRDS.- 



- PslTTACID.r,. 



let; tbe fuur middle feathers of tbe tail are entirely 

 green, tbe rest, from the inner web, yellow, except at 

 tlie extremity. 



THE OEANGE- WINGED LORIKEET {Trichorjlossus 

 pi/rrJioptcrus) is a smaller species than any of the pre- 

 ceding Lories, measuring only seven inches and a half 

 in length. It has tbe head of a delicate greonish-lilue 

 colour, tbe neck grayish- white, and the rest of tbe 

 plumage greeii, witb tbe exception of the under wing- 

 coverts, which are of a rich orange colour. It is an 

 inhabitant of tbe Sandwich Islands. 



THE GRAY PARROT {Psiltacus er)jthacus)—'Phte 15, 

 fig. 51. — The common Gray Parrot, being one of the 

 species most frequently kept in this country, must bo 

 familiar to all our readers. It is an inhabitant of tro- 

 )iical Africa, where it dwells in the woods, feeds upon 

 seeds and the kernels of fruits, and breeds in the holes 

 of decaj'ed trees, laying about four white eggs. In 

 confinement, and probably also in a state of nature, it 

 generally holds its food in one of its feet, and then bites 

 pieces from it. The strength of its bill enables it readily 

 to break the shells of nuts and almonds, so as to get at 

 their sweet kernels. 



As a pet this parrot is a great favourite, and de- 

 servedly so, as its docility and intelligence render it 

 ver}' amusing. It learns to speak with greater facility 

 and distinctness than perhaps any other bird, and it is 

 no imcommon thing to hear of parrots which will repeat 

 sentences as long as the Lord's praj'cr. It also readily 

 l)icks up anj' words which are of frequent occurrence in 

 the household, and sometimes brings out its acquisitions 

 in tbe most amusing manner, frequently repeating cer- 

 tain phrases in the presence of those for whose ears they 

 were not intended. Town parrots also commonly imitate 

 street-noises, and an instance of tliis related by Mr. 

 Selby may be mentioned, as showing tbe mischief to 

 which such a habit may unintentionally give rise. A 

 ]iarrot kept upon a quay in a sea-port town had learnt 

 to give in perfection the ejaculatory words commonly 

 used by carters to make their horses back into any 

 required position ; one day the bird was amusing himself 

 by repeating this among other thi]igs, and did it so 

 naturally t'lat a horse standing close by unattended in 

 a cart, immediately obeyed the command, and probably 

 incited by the reiterated shouts of the parrot, continued 

 bis retrograde movement so long that he fell over the 

 quay and was drowned. 



We shall not dwell upon any of the numerous anec- 

 dotes conimoidj' related of this bird, but will conclude 

 our short description with Le Vaillant's account of one 

 which lived to the patriarchal age of ninety-tluee. In 

 )iis best days this parrot had been distinguished for his 

 ))Owers of conversation, and he was so remarkably 

 docile that he would perform many little acts when 

 ordered to do so, such as fetching his master's slippers, 

 calling the servants, and tbe like. When he reached 

 tbe rijie age of sixty, he began to lose bis memory, and 

 would confuse and jumble together different fragments 

 of his former learning; from this time his infirmities 

 went on increasing, until in his last days he became 

 jierfectly decrepid, and was only kept alive by being 

 fed at intervals with biscuit soaked in Madeira. 



LE VAILLAUT'S PARROT (Psiltacus Le VaillanHi), 



another African species, is migratory in its habits, 

 passing to the region of the tropics during the rainy 

 season, and advancing in tbe summer as far south as 

 the region of the Cape of Good Ilope. It is about the 

 same size as the Gray Parrot, and tlie general colour of 

 its plumage is olive-green in various shades ; the rump, 

 belly, and tail-coverts are bright green ; the bend of 

 the wing is marked with bi'ight orange-red ; the wings 

 themselves are brownish-black, with a greenish gloss, 

 and with green borders to tbe coverts and scapulars ; 

 the tail-feathers are of the same colour as those of the 

 wings. 



THE GREEN PARROT {Chrysotis cwm::oukiis), which 

 is even a more common bird in this country than the 

 Gray Parrot, is an inhabitant of the forests of tropical 

 America, wliere it occurs, with other allied species, in 

 immense numbers. It is a little larger than the Gray 

 Parrot, and its plumage is of a fine grass-green colour, 

 with the edges of each feather dusky ; the forehead is 

 bluish, and the licad and throat yellowish ; the spurious 

 wing is red, and the wings and tail more or less varie- 

 gated with green, black, red, and yellow. This species 

 appears to be liable to considerable variation. It is 

 tolerably docile, and learns to speak pretty readil}', but 

 is generally inferior in both these respects to the African 

 Gray Parrot. This species and its allies are especially 

 abundant in the rich forests along the course of the 

 great rivers of South America. They not untrequently 

 descend upon plantations situated in tbe vicinity of 

 their haunts, and do gi'eat mischief 



THE FESTIVE PARROT ( Chrysotis fistlvns) is another 

 of these South American species. It is still larger than 

 the common Green Parrot, measuring fifteen or sixteen 

 inches in length ; its colour is green, with the binder 

 part of the crown of the head blue, a streak of red 

 running from each nostril to the eye, the lower part of 

 the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts scarlet, and the 

 quill-feathers of the wings deep blue. 



THE LOVE-BIRD [Agapornis Swindcrkma). — Several 

 charming diminutive species of this family nearly allied 

 to the precedi[ig, are commonly known as Love-birds, 

 from their beuig usually seen sitting as closely as 

 possible to each other, and occasionally billing in tlie 

 most affectionate manner. In captivity they are 

 generally kept in pairs, when they exhibit the gi'eatest 

 apparent fondness for each other, and it is a common 

 belief, probably well founded, that if one should die, 

 the other will pine away with grief at the loss of its 

 companion. 



The present species, which is a native of Southern 

 Africa, is one of tbe smallest of its tribe, measuring 

 only five inclies in length. Its colour is a delicate but 

 lively green; round the back of the neck there is a 

 black collar, and beneath this a yellow band, which 

 encircles the neck, and expands considerably on tbe 

 breast; the short tail has the two middle feathers green, 

 and the remainder scarlet at the base and green at tbe 

 tip, the two colours being separated by a black band. 



THE BONNETED PSITTACULE [Psittacula pileata) — 

 Plate 15, fig. 52 — another of the small species of 

 short-tailed parrots, is an inhabitant of South America, 

 where it appears to be a bird of passage. It is rather 

 more than eight inches in length, and of a gi-cen colour, 



