268 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Order PSITTACI— The Parrots, Macaws, 

 Paroquets, etc. (Page 2.) 



Families. 

 (Characters same as those given for the Order) ... Psittacidae. (Page 268.) 

 Family PSITTACIDiE. (Page 268.) 



North and Middle American Genera. 



a 1 . Tail graduated, the feathers narrowed toward tips. 



b 1 . Cheeks naked; tail longer than wing, graduated for more than half its 



length; very large (wing more than 12.00) Ara. 1 



b 2 . Cheeks densely feathered ; tail shorter than wing, graduated for less than 

 half its length ; small or medium (wing not more than 12.00). 

 c 1 . Wing more than 3.50 ; upper mandible very little if any broader than 

 high at base. 

 d 1 . Second or third quill longest. 



e 1 . Tail more than two-thirds as long as wing ; wing more than 

 5.00. 

 /'. Bill very large, much compressed, the tip of lower man- 

 dible much produced, truncated, and flattened ; gonys 

 flattened ; tail graduated for only about one-third its 

 length ; cere densely feathered, concealing the nostrils ; 



wing 8.00, or more Rhynchopsitta. (Page 269.) 



f 2 . Bill smaller, less compressed, with tip of lower mandible 

 less produced, and gonys rounded ; tail graduated for 

 much more than one-third its total length ; cere naked 

 in some species, densely feathered in others; wing less 

 than 8.00 in all North American species. 



Conurus. (Page 269.) 

 e 2 . Tail less than two-thirds as long as the wing ; wing less than 

 5.00. 



Cere naked on top Brotogeris. 2 



d 2 . Pirst quill longest. 



Tail (in northern species) less than two-thirds as long as 



1 Ara Brisson, Orn. iv. 1760, 184. Type, A. braeilieneiB Briss., = A. chloroptera Gbay. For synopsis of 

 Mexican species, see Appendix. 



2 Brotogeria Via., Zool. Jour. ii. 1825, 400. Type, Psittacus pyrrhopterue Linn. 



One Mexican and Central American species, B. tovi (Linn.) ; color, uniform green, paler below, upper wing- 

 coverts olive-brownish, and spot on chin orange; length about 6.50 inches. 



