64 HYAOINTHINE MAGAW. 



of the other Macaws, as will be seen later oil, but every Hyacinthine 

 and Glaucous Macaw I have seen has been gentle, and ready to allow 

 any one to handle them. I approach strange Macaws of the other 

 kinds with caution, by no means sure that their tempers may not have 

 been spoilt, or that they may not reserve their affection exclusively 

 for their owners, but I have no fear of the sort with these two Macaws, 

 although I have seen some half dozen, they were all equally good- 

 tempered. They are much less noisy too than the other Macaws, though 

 when they do scream the noise is in proportion to their size. I do 

 not however think that they have the same intelligence as the others, 

 and I am afraid their amiability has something to do with stupidity, 

 as I never came across one that talked. Mine imitated the cackling 

 of a hen to perfection, but it was so occupied with repeating that 

 performance that it appeared to have no time for acquiring any other. 

 The other Macaws did not appear to recognise it as a congener, for 

 they were as afraid of it as if it had been a hawk without the 

 slightest reason, for it was nearly as afraid of them. I did not keep 

 it long, for I like to turn my Macaws out loose, and I was afraid of 

 the mischief this bird's beak might do amongst the garden trees, and 

 as I was offered a good price for it, I let it go. The Hyacinthine 

 Macaw is sufficiently scarce, though not so rare as the Glaucous Macaw : 

 about £10 is the price for either of them. 



Before leaving the all blue Macaws, I may mention one other, a 

 very rare one, Spix's. This is much smaller than the other two; it is 

 the bantam of the all blue Macaws. It has no naked space at all 

 round the cheeks, the beak and legs are black, and the plumage is 

 a very grey blue. I have only known of one specimen in captivity, 

 that now in the Kegenfs Park collection. This bird has all the ap- 

 pearance of having been captured as an adult, as its wing appears to 

 have been broken by a shot. Its unsociability therefore says nothing 

 as to what sort of pet a Spix would make. I should think a nice 

 one, if one could get one that had been taken from the nest. 



