THE SENEGAL PARROT 



surface not already mentioned, together with the throat and the upper part of the 

 breast and the whole of the tail-feathers, are bright grass-green. The remainder 

 of the under surface is yellow, passing into bright orange-red on the middle of the 

 breast and abdomen, the yellow likewise embracing the under tail-coverts. The 

 beak is dark horny grey passing into blackish brown, with the soft " cere " at its 

 base, like the patch of bare skin round each eye, blackish ; while the feet are dark 

 brown. Bright colour reappears in the iris of the eye, which varies from sulphur- 

 yellow to dark brown, probably according to age. 



In the hen the head is light brownish grey, the under surface uniformly 

 yellow without any tinge of orange, while the under tail-coverts are yellowish 

 green instead of yellow. In size the female may be compared with a small jack- 

 daw. * 



As is the case with many other members of its tribe, very little is known 

 with regard to Senegal parrots in a state of nature. They are stated, however, 

 to associate in small parties of about half a dozen, and to take up their quarters, 

 whenever possible, in the tops of the huge monkey-bread trees, where they reveal 

 their presence by uttering piercing screams at the approach of an intruder on their 

 domains. In taking wing, and also when settling after a flight, they are stated to 

 be somewhat awkward, but when once started they fly as straight and as swift as 

 arrows. Details are wanting with regard to their nesting-habits ; but, when the 

 young are strong enough to fly, the whole party takes to wandering about, and 

 then frequently do much damage to the banana, rice, maize, and other crops. In 

 captivity, at any rate, the males perform a kind of love-dance at the commencement 

 of the breeding-season. 



The Senegal parrot is the typical representative of a genus, with rather 

 more than a dozen species, confined to Africa south of the Sahara. That genus 

 belongs to a subfamily (Pionince), of which the more typical representatives, such 

 as Pionus and Chrysotis (Amazon parrots), are South American. 



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