OliNITHOLOG Y. 



ARA MILITARIS; or MILITARY MACAW. 



Character — Bill hooked, prehensile, square shaped, blunt; 

 the under mandible closing into the upper part of 

 the bill ; the cheek covered by a circular naked 

 membrane surrounding the eye; neck and upper 

 coverts of an olive green, the back and other parts 

 blue; the tail longest in the middle, cuneiform and 

 spread out. 



THE elegant and stately bird which we have selected 

 for the present subject of observation, is of the Parrot-tribe, 

 and is one of those singular species lately discovered in New 

 Holland. Its form is graceful and commanding, and it has 

 a considerable resemblance, in its general expression of cha- 

 racter, to (he majestic Eagle. 



The present extended state of navigation and commerce 

 having opened to our view, the knowledge of the most dis- 

 tant islands and climates, has increased In an amazing degree 

 our numbers of the Parrot-tribe. 



The circumstance of the membrance of the bill resem- 

 bling that of a Vulture, and alluded to in the generic 

 description of the Ara, leads us to admire the analogy of 

 Nature, and at the same time a considerable agreement ex- 

 ists in the bills of this genus of birds, with several of the 

 Toucan-tribes. 



The Parrot seems to have been little known to the 

 Ancients, and is only slightly mentioned by Aristotle and 

 Onesicrites; and the Green Parroquette with a red neck, is 



b. y* - t 





