PARROTS. 



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THE COLLARED OR ROSE-RINGED PARROT. 



The Collared Parrot (Palceornis torquatus) is elegantly formed and strikingly coloured. 

 The entire length of the male is from fourteen to sixteen inches, ten of which must be allowed for the 

 tail ; the length of wing is about six inches from the shoulder to the tip. The colour of the plumage 

 is generally a bright grass green, brightest on the top of the head, palest underneath, and darkest on 

 the wings : on both sides of the throat, and about the cheeks, this colour changes to a delicate sky 

 blue, which is divided from the green of the neck by a dark blackish stripe on the throat, and a 

 splendid band of rose red feathers ; the tips of the tail-feathers are also sky blue, and the under part 

 of the tail and wings yellowish green. The beak is bright red, with a dark tip to the upper mandible, 

 the feet grey, the eye yellowish white. The young birds before moulting may be distinguished from 

 the old by their paler and uniform light green colour. 



The Rose-ringed Parrakeet is spread over the whole of Africa, and is found from the western 

 coast to the eastern borders of the Abyssinian mountains, the wooded parts of which are especially 

 favourable to its mode of life and habits ; it does not always seek the extensive unbroken primitive 

 forests, which cover the lower parts of the interior of Africa, but is often seen in limited tracts of 

 woodland, among the thickly-foliaged evergreens, which afford a safe retreat during the entire year. 

 In Western Africa it is seen on the coast ; in Northern Africa we have found it as far southward as 

 fifteen degrees north latitude, but did not observe it in those parts of the mountainous coast of 

 Abyssinia through which we travelled, and only met with it in the neighbourhood of monkeys ; 

 indeed, after repeated observations we concluded that we could safely reckon upon always finding it 

 where monkeys were to be seen, and vice versa. It would be difficult for travellers through their 

 haunts to overlook the Rose-ringed Parrakeets, as they announce their presence by loud, discordant 

 cries heard above all the noises of the forest ; their associated bands, after uniting and thus 

 increasing to large flocks, often take possession of some of the thickly-leaved tamarind or other trees, 

 and from these resting-places fly daily across a greater or less tract of country. In the early morning 

 they are tolerably quiet, but soon after sunrise go forth screaming in search of food, and the whole 

 flock may then be seen flying hurriedly over the woods. The African forests are comparatively poor 

 in fruit, but the plants that grow under their shadow are prolific in seeds of all kinds, which 

 entice the parrots to the ground ; nevertheless, except when the small round fruit of the bush known 

 as " Christ's thorn " is ripe, they seldom descend from the trees. It is probable tiiat they will also 

 take animal food ; at any rate, we have often observed them busy near ant-hills and the dwellings of 

 Termites. They are rarely seen in the fields bordering on the woods of Central Africa, although 

 tame birds may be fed solely upon the Caffre millet and durrah, the corn of that country ; it would 

 seem, however, that they prefer fruits and seeds to the last-mentioned diet. 



Until mid-day the flocks are busy satisfying their hunger, after which they fly to seek water, and 

 then rest for some hours among the branches, chattering and screaming ; but in spite of their noise 

 they are difficult to find, owing to their green colour, which is scarcely distinguishable from the 

 foliage ; moreover, they are perfectly silent the instant that they observe anything unusual, or creep 

 stealthily and quietly away if they fear pursuit. The longer you remain under a tree beneath the top 

 of which you have just heard hundreds of voices, the stiller and quieter it becomes, until at last all 

 is silent ; one bird after the other has noiselessly crept away to a distance, from whence a joyful cry 

 tells that their cunningly planned retreat is happily accomplished. 



Towards evening they again assemble, and make (if that is possible) a louder shrieking than 

 before ; for now the question is not only which is the best branch to rest upon, but the safest 

 sleeping-phce. During the spring time, when the woods are decked in magic beauty, the parrots 



