94 



Restive §|mazon jJarrot. 



Psittacus festivus, Euss. 



Synonyms: Amazona f estiva, Schlgl.; Ghrysotis 



festivus, Swns., Bp., Selb. in Jaed.; Ghrysotis f estiva, Gr., Fnsch, etc., etc. 



German: Die rothriickige Amazone. 



rriHE Amazons are a numerous family, comprising upwards of twenty 

 -*- species, nearly all of which are inhabitants of the region watered 

 by the great river from which they have derived their common name, 

 and its tributaries, and although natives of the Tropics, or the countries 

 bordering thereon, they are neither delicate, nor difficult to preserve 

 in captivity. Some of them rival the Grey Parrot as linguists and 

 mimics, and all are far hardier than the latter bird. 



The species under consideration is not to be confounded with Psit- 

 tacus cestivus, one of its congeners, better known to amateurs, and 

 more frequently imported than itself. All the Amazons are of more 

 or less green colour, and are chiefly distinguished from each other by 

 the markings of the head and face, a few by their size only, and one 

 or two by their altogether different appearance to the rest of their 

 kind. 



The subject of this chapter, however, is not of the latter sort, for 

 it is a green bird, darker above, lighter on the lower surface of the 

 body, and has a red frontlet and bridle; above the eyes is a line of 

 blue; the wings are marked with blue and black spots; and the lower 

 part of the back and the rump are red: it is not very frequently im- 

 ported, nor much of a favourite with amateurs, as it is not a great 

 talker, though susceptible of being rendered very tame. 



All the Amazons have short tails, averaging about four inches in 

 length, and the species under consideration has the outer feather on 

 each side margined with blue on its outer aspect, while the remainder 

 are green, marked with red near their bases, excepting the two middle 

 feathers which are wholly green. 



