328 Timehri. 



Melanocephalus is seven inches in length, the tail, as is the case 

 of all parrots (using the word now in its limited signification) 

 being short. The head is large and the body sturdy. The back, 

 wino-s, and tail are a vivid grass green ; the breast is snowy white ; 

 the sides, thighs and vent, as well as the neck, a beautiful orange ; 

 the cheeks, yellow ticked with white ; the crown of the head, 

 and the beak are black ; the bare skin around the eyes is also 

 black, so that the bird seems to be wearing a cap slouched over the eyes ; 

 but the eyes are prominent being red. The cere is indigo, and there is a 

 patch of dark green at the corners of the mouth. The bastard wing is 

 blue ; the green of the back, at the nape of the neck, is also blue ; and 

 the black cap is edged with the same colour. The under-wing coverts 

 are brick-red and the primaries are tipped with black ; the feet are black 

 also. I may remark that those in captivity, are seldom clean-looking, 

 for the bird is always getting into mischief and requires frequent 

 bathing ; but he repays all the trouble, for then he is in truth an object 

 of beauty : the feathers having the appearance of clean wool, as the 

 back and the wings of satin. 



My bird was a great source of amusement. He would run races 

 with me along the gallery and when I overtook him and essayed to pick 

 him up, would lie on his back and playfully tight with beak and claw. 

 When I caught him up and flung him away, he would come running back 

 for the sheer fun of being flung away again. But when I put other 

 birds into the gallery, his jealousy knew no bounds. He would rush at 

 their cages when set at liberty and savagely attempt to attack them 

 through the bars ; and then I am sorry to say would as savagety attack 

 me till I defended myself with a paper knife and so, in part, subdued his 

 envious spirit. 



A friend of mine had a pair of these beautiful birds ; but they had 

 to be kept in a cage for, content with their own company, they would, 

 through mutual jealousy, allow no interference, biting savagely if 

 approached, and laughing all the time. I dubbed them at once 4i the 

 heavenly twins/' after the hero and heroine in Sarah Grand's famous 

 novel, for they were up to all sorts of mischief, and were perfect acrobats, 

 twisting around their perches, swinging and putting their heads between 

 their legs, leaping up, dancing and whistling. If one of tbem came to 

 the bars of the cage and was shewn any attention, the other would dash 

 at it in jealous rage and squabbling would go on for some time before 

 they were reconciled again. 



I am ashamed to say that these beautiful birds are too fond of 

 eating and may actually die of surfeit if their food is not properly 

 regulated. They may be taught to say a few words but are not good 

 talkers. 



Amazons. 



Most of the parrots kept as pets in the Colony belong to one of the 

 several species of Amazons indigenous to the country. But it would be 

 unfair to judge of the tribe from most of the specimens one sees ; 



