PAEEOTS. 



465 



only the gift of imitation in a slight degree ; they are scarcely 

 able to retain any words, and articulate badlj'. 



Parrakeets, much smaller than Macaws, have, like them, long 

 and tapering tails, but their cheeks are wholly or partiall}^ feathered. 

 Some species, which resemble the preceding group by being more 

 or less destitute of plumage round the eyes, for this reason have 

 received the name of Macaw-Parrakeets. Parrakeets are highly 



I I lliiiJM 



Fig. 187. — Grey PiiiTots {Psittacus er^fhaais, Sw.). 



esteemed for their vivacity, gentleness, and the facility with which 

 they learn to talk. Their plumage is generally of a uniform green ; 

 sometimes it is varied with red or blue. They inhabit South 

 America, the islands of Oceania, the Indies, Africa, and Senegal. 

 The Tabuan or King's Parrot (Platycercus scaptdatus, Vig.), 

 which inhabits Australia, belongs to this group. These birds form 

 a curious exception in the order of Climbers by their terrestrial 



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