CONURES. 431 



open-air aviary during winter. The plumage is green, except a bright yellow head and orange 

 face. Male and female are alike. Food, Indian corn, hemp and canary seed. 



THE BLACK-HEADED CONURE (Conurns nanday), Paraguay. 

 Psitlacus nanday (Russ). English dealers' name — Nanday Parrot. German name — " Schwarzkopfiger Sittich." 



This Conure was very rare until lately, but is now frequently obtainable. I found a pair 

 of these birds both hardy and amusing. Their green plumage and black face are in pretty 

 contrast. My pets used to begin to scream terribly when they saw me, and boldly darted at my 

 fingers whenever I put a hand in their cage ; but for all that I liked the saucy, bold, noisy birds 

 much. My hopes of breeding them were disappointed by their gnawing the hollow log 

 intended for a nest into minute particles. Food, canary, hemp-seed, Indian corn, millet in 

 the ear, and a little sponge-cake. 



THE WHITE- EARED CONURE {Conurus leucotis), Brazil. 

 (Illustration drawn from live specimens lent by Mr. Charles Jamrach.) 

 Psittacus letccotis (Russ), Aratinga nintis, Sitlace Imcoiis, Psitlacara Imcotis. English dealers' name— White-eared Conure. 

 German name — " Weissbackiger Sittich." 



This small Conure is only a little larger than the Australian Undulated Parrakeet, and 

 was very rare until a year or two ago, but latterly the birds are frequently offered for sale. 

 I believe no other Conure will afford his owner as much pleasure as this one. A pair I 

 kept for a long time proved very intelligent, lively, and hardy, and were quite free from 

 the destructive mania of other Conures, and never indulged in screaming. The food I gave 

 consisted of millet, canary, and a little hemp-seed, with about a quarter of a sponge-cake daily. 

 On this diet my pair of White-eared Conures grew daily prettier. 



THE RING-NECKED PARRAKEET {Pala:ornis iorquafui), India. 



THE ROSE-RINGED PARRAKEET (Pala:ornis docilis), West Africa. (Illustrated.) 



PsiUacus /orgtm(us (Russ), Psittacus Alexandri, Psittacus viaiiillensis, Psittacus docilis. English dealers' name — 



Ring-necked Parrakeet. German name — " Kleiner Alexandersittlch. " 



These are practically the same birds. This Parrot is the only species indigenous to both 

 Africa and Asia, and, as mentioned in the introductory remarks, the Rose-ringed Parrakeet is 

 the Parrot which the Romans brought from Africa in Nero's time, and which is mentioned in 

 the writings of Aristotle, and described by Pliny. The only difference between the Indian 

 and African Ring-necked Parrakeet is that the former have red and the latter black beaks. 

 In Calcutta and in Ceylon these Parrakeets are found wild in every garden, and tame specimens 

 are so common throughout India that sailors bring them over on almost every ship coming 

 home from the East. No other Parrot is more docile, and though slow to learn to talk, the 

 Ring-necked Parrakeet acquires a very clear pronunciation. When first imported, care is requisite 

 to avoid colds, but with judicious treatment these birds become very hardy, and will live many 

 years on a mixture of all kinds of seeds. The female and young birds have no ring round 

 the neck. 



PLUM OR ELOSSOM-HEADED PARRAKEET (Pahwrnis cyanocephalus), Hindostan. (Illustrated.) 

 Psittacus cyanocephalus (Russ), Psittacus aythroccphalus, Psittacus ginginianus, Psittacus Bcngalensis, Palccornis Bengalcnsis, 

 Psittacus annulatus. English dealers' name— Plum-headed Parrakeet. German name— " Pflaumenkopfsittich." 



The .Zoological Society's catalogue mentions Hindostan as the habitat of this beautiful 

 Parrakeet, but it is found al.so on the Madras Coast and in Ceylon. When first imported this 



