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JENDAYA %ONURE. 



Psittacus Jendaya. 



Synonyms: Gonurus auricapittus , Brmst.; Gonurus Jendaya, Gr. ; 



Aratinga chrysocephalus, Spx. ; Arara auricapittus, Lss. ; 



Psittacus pyocephalus, Hhn. ; Psittacara auricapittus, Vgrs. ; 



Sittace Jendaya, Wgl. 



French: Perruche Jendaya. German: Der hyazinthrothe 



Keilschwanzsittich oder Jendayasittich. 



THE Jendaya Parrakeet, or Conure, is a native of the north-eastern 

 parts of Sonth America, where it occurs in such vast numbers as 

 to cause no inconsiderable amount of damage to the growing crops of 

 maize; but in these pages we are chiefly concerned with it as an 

 inmate of the aviary or cage, to which it accommodates itself extremely 

 well; and being possessed of a good constitution can be so thoroughly 

 acclimatised as to pass the most severe of our winters out of doors 

 without inconvenience. 



There is a great difference between the old and young birds, and 

 it is certain that the latter, in various stages of their development, 

 have been taken for one or more distinct species; and so described by 

 authors. The only reliable method of clearing up the difficulty would 

 be to breed some Jendayas in captivity, and watch them during their 

 growth from the time they left the nest, until they had finally assumed 

 the adult garb; care being taken to have their portraits correctly painted 

 at each mutation of plumage. Such a record would be invaluable 

 because incontrovertible, and is by no means impossible of attainment, 

 seeing that these Oonures, as we have said, are hardy; and though 

 we have no account of their having nested in confinement, it is not 

 unlikely that so desirable a result may be ultimately attained; for a pair 

 we have had under observation for some time incessantly caress each 

 other, and have even paired on several occasions; the same thing has also 



