HAWK-HEADED P ABBOT. 3 



ance, that most people are afraid of him, yet he is the dearest and 

 most gentle old thing in the world, and not in the least spiteful, though 

 fond of pretending to be very wicked indeed, now and then. 



For instance, he has taken a great dislike to one lady visitor, and 

 if he happens to be out of his cage when she comes into the room, 

 flies at her open mouthed, hissing like an Owl, and chases her all 

 about the place ; and when he has forced her to beat an ignominious 

 retreat, runs along the table, pressing his beak to its surface, and 

 every now and then emits a little squeal, not unlike the sound made 

 by a wheel in want of greasing — wheeling a barrow, as the young 

 folk of the household call this funny procedure on the part of their 

 favourite. 



He very much enjoys having his head rubbed, and will sit for any 

 length of time on one's lap, grunting the while with satisfaction at 

 the gentle friction and the genial warmth to his feet. He is very 

 playful, and will frequently, in his cage and out, turn over on his 

 back and amuse himself with a stone or a bit of stick, which he tosses 

 about from beak to foot in evident enjoyment of the game. 



Two objectionable habits he has; one of which is, that he will try 

 to feed his friends by bringing up the half-digested food from his 

 crop, and the other, that he takes it into his head to scream awfully 

 at times, and can scarcely be pacified once he has begun. But on the 

 whole his good qualities far and away outbalance the bad, so that the 

 writer has no hesitation in recommending the Ruffed Parrot to the 

 favourable consideration of his readers. 



Though not as good, or bad, a carpenter as some of its congeners, 

 this bird greatly enjoys picking a log of soft wood to pieces; an 

 employment, or amusement, in which its powerful mandibles are doubt- 

 less of great assistance ; it can also crack nuts and bend the wires of 

 its cage; needless then to remark that it can bite, but fortunately 

 appears to have no disposition to do so, even under a considerable 

 amount of provocation. 



The colouring of the Hawk-headed Parrot will be better understood 

 by a glance at Mr. Lydon's excellent illustration than by the perusal 

 of half a dozen pages of letterpress. It will, however, be necessary 

 to observe that the conspicuous ruff that adorns the creature's neck is 

 usually worn level with the remainder of the plumage, and that it is 

 only when the bird is excited that it is raised, as shown in the 

 plate. 



The green of the wings and back varies in shade in the most curious 

 manner, according to the light in which the bird is placed ; thus, whilst 

 ordinarily it is of a brilliant emerald tint, it will appear to be of a 



