112 PARROTS. 



narrower in the middle line. They are, however, specially distinguished by their 

 short and squared tails, in which the pointed extremities of the shafts of the 

 feathers project beyond the vanes. When folded, the long wings reach beyond the 

 end of the tail ; and the claws are remarkably elongated. The males of these 

 pigmies are most gorgeous in colour, but their consorts show much more sober 





RED-CAFPED PIGMY PARROT. (Froiu Guillemard's Cruise of the Marchesci.) 



tints. Altogether nine species of these parrots are recognised. In the species 

 figured on p. Ill (Nasiterna pygmoia), the total length is just over 3 inches, but 

 it is rather more in the red-capped species {N. hruijni). 



The American Sharp-Tailed Parrots. 



Subfamily Conurin.e. 



The pigmy parrots constituting a subfamily by themselves, we come now to a 

 second very large subfamily, exclusively confined to the New World, and ranging 

 from Carolina to Patagonia. These parrots, which include the well-known macaws 

 and the smaller conures, are characterised by their graduated and generally long 

 tails, in which each of the feathers tapers to a point, and the middle pair are longer 

 than any of the others. The bill is strong, almost always deeper tha^n long, and 

 generally devoid of any notch ; while its usual colour is whitish or pale brown- 

 Except in one genus, the two sexes are alike ; and the predominant colour of the 

 plumage is usually green, although in some species blue or yellow. The cere, which 

 may be either naked or feathered, surrounds the wdiole base of the bill like a band, 

 and the nostrils may be either exposed or concealed among the feathers. In the 

 skull the ring round the socket of the eye is generally complete. As there are 

 no less than fifteen genera in the group, only some of the more interesting can 

 be noticed. 



