::::::::»x TWO BiRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO .*:::""" 



quickly vibrating wings, passing steadily across the sky. 

 While thus silhouetted against the light, they seemed 

 black, but when they reached a background of rock 

 or trees their colours flashed out — beautiful living 

 greens with lesser tints of brown and golden olive. 

 They were Military Macaws, and they always flew thus 

 closely together, morning and evening, from roost to 

 feeding-ground and back. The number of kinds of 

 birds which remained closely associated in pairs all dur- 

 ing the winter was remarkable, and perhaps indicated 

 that manj^ more species of Mexican birds mate for life 

 than is the case with the birds of our Northland. 



Before we left the North we said to each other, " Of 

 course we shall see M'ild parrots," and here were the 

 first of these Ijirds, in the form of these macaws. But 

 we were not in the least prepared for the sight. When 

 all one's life one has associated such creatures as par- 

 rots with cages and seed-cups, no matter how prepared 

 in mind one may be to see them free in their native 

 haunts, yet when the actual first experience comes, it 

 is always with a most delightful thrill to the senses. 

 Parrots then were not evolved, hatched, and reared on 

 " T " perches with a cracker in their beaks ; but existed 

 after all in as wild and sjJeechJess a state as other 

 birds ! 



The macaws M^ere not the only birds of beautiful 

 plumage and long tails. Occasionally a tumultuous 

 flock of Long-tailed Crested Blue Jays, or Magpie 



<^- 174 ^ 



