81 



i|LLIGER'S f§fACAW. 



Psittacus maracana, Buss. 

 Synonyms: Macrocercus maracana, Vll.; Macrocercus Uligeri, Bemst.; 

 Ara maracana, Ge.; Sittace maracana, Fnsch., etc. 

 German: Der rothriichige Arara. 



T I THIS rare bird is a native of the southern parts of Brazil, and, 

 -*- although classed with the Macaws by authors, is a much smaller 

 bird than those giants of the Parrot race which we have just described; 

 it is about the same size as Pennant's Parrakeet, though its much 

 longer tail causes it to appear larger. 



A dark red forehead, rump, and belly form a marked contrast to 

 the garb of dusky green that clothes the back of this small Macaw, 

 whose wings are blue, tipped with a narrow border of a deeper shade 

 of the same colour; the tail is dark reddish brown, with bluish green 

 tips. 



The female resembles her mate. 



Two fine specimens are now to be seen in the Parrot House in 

 Begent's Park, but are very seldom to be met with in the dealers' 

 hands, probably because these Macaws have no very marked pecu- 

 liarities to recommend them to the notice of amateurs. 



At the "Zoo" the cage is placed on the upper shelf of the stand 

 that occupies the centre of the Parrot House, where the birds are 

 badly seen, and being out of reach of the majority of the visitors, have 

 not become as familiar with them, as those of their congeners who 

 fill a less exalted position. 



It is much to be desired that a new Parrot House were built, on 

 the plan of the Reptile House, where each species of Parrot .could 

 have allotted to its use a cage of sufficient dimensions to enable it to 

 use its wings, and to contain a hollow log or tree, in which many of 

 the species would undoubtedly breed; many disputed points in the 

 ii. H 



