PARROTS. -5-9 



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Strong tinder-branches of a large tree, the neck drawn in, and the long tail hanging straight - down. 

 Except during pairing time, they fly in small companies in search of different kinds of fruits, especially 

 those of various species of palms, on the hard shells of which they are very fond of trying their 

 powerful beaks. Notwithstanding the noise they usually make, like other species of parrots they 

 become at once perfectly silent so soon as they have found a tree laden with suitable produce, and 

 when they settle upon it, their presence is only indicated by the fall of the husks, which they bite 

 off and throw down. During the cold season of the year we often found them busfly seeking 

 out the fruit of a creeping plant called sphinha; they climb up its tangled stems very adroitly, 

 and it is then easier to shoot them than under other circumstances. Their crops were quite 

 full of the white seeds of this plant ; at other times we found their beaks dyed blue by some species 

 of fruit that they had eaten." 



Le Vaillant says, in his " Natural History of Parrots," that the Araras are stupid birds, which' 

 do not fear the hunter's gun ; but we must say from our own experience that in the unfrequented 

 woods of Brazil, where they are very numerous, these Macaws are amongst the slyest and most 

 cunning of their race. While sitting upon a tree feeding, the whole party are quiet, or only utter 

 a low sound, which somewhat resembles the murmur of human conversation ; but during their 

 flight, or when disturbed, their voices are loud enough. They shriek most wildly when the 

 hunter steals upon them unobserved, and disturbs the unsuspecting company in the middle of 

 their meal by a shot, and on such occasions often raise a deafening uproar. Their loud scream is 

 very harsh ; it consists but of one syllable, and somewhat resembles the cry of our ravens. Like 

 all other parrots, these birds are much attached to their mates. "In April of the year. 1788," 

 says Azara, " Manuel Palomares, who was hunting about a mile from the city of Paraguay, shot 

 an Arara, and tied it to the saddle of his horse. The mate of the dead bird followed the hunter 

 to his home, which was in the centre of the town, and remained for several days upon the same 

 spot ; at last it allowed itself to be taken by hand and domesticated." " In pairing time," says 

 the Prince von Wied, " the Araras endeavour to find the breeding place they have formerly occupied. 

 The nest is always made in some large tree, that has either an open cavity or a hollow place, which 

 they soon enlarge to the requisite size by the help of their strong beak. In this the female lays two 

 white eggs, resembling those of most other parrots." Schomburghk tells us that the long tail of the 

 parrot often proves fatal to the brood, by betraying the presence of its owner, as it hangs out of the 

 hole in which the nest is situated. Azara assures us that the couple never leave the nest, dividing 

 the care of it between them ; and should any one approach, they testify the greatest uneasiness. The 

 young do not cry out for food, but signify their wants by tapping at the sides of the tree. Like the 

 nestlings of other parrots they are very ugly and helpless, and for some time after leaving the nest 

 require the protection and care of their parents. The natives prefer taking them unfledged, as they 

 are then very easily tamed. Caged Araras always seem to have been favourites with the Indians. 

 '-'We saw with great interest," says Humboldt, "large Araras flying about tame in the Indian huts, 

 as pigeons do with us ; these birds are great ornaments to the Indian poultry -yard, and do not 

 yield in beauty to the Peacock or Golden Pheasant." 



It must, however, be rather dangerous to have Araras flying about in such close vicinity, if 

 only on account of the undesirable use they often make of their formidable beaks, and yet in some 

 instances they become very tame. An individual in the possession of the Prince von Wied had full 

 liberty to fly about the apartments, but preferred being near its master. It allowed him to catch it, or 

 to carry it on his hand about the room, and would stroke his cheeks in a blandishing manner with its 

 dangerous bill. 



This species never learns to speak as well as other parrots, but is nevertheless not quite deficient 



