71 



§UN IJarrakeet, 



OR ^ELLOW foNURE. 



Psittacus solstitialis, Auctoeum. 



Synonyms : Conurus solstitialis, Gr., Bp., etc. ; Conurus aurantius, Mll. ; 



Psittacus gouaruha, Spx. 



German: Der orangegelbe Keilschwanzsittich oder Sonnensittich, Rss. 



French: Perruche-soleil, Rousse, Para, etc. 



' 'TTTNDOUBTEDLY one of the most magnificent of the many 

 vJ beautiful Parrots of America/' writes Dr. Russ of this bird in 

 his Fremdlandischen Stubenvbgel, page 254, and we cordially agree with 

 the remark; but when he goes on to describe the colour as lemon 

 yellow, he is not quite correct, for it is more like ochre with dashes 

 of crimson. The flight feathers are green, and the wing coverts also; 

 but these birds vary immensely in appearance; and, in point of fact, 

 no two of them are to be met with that are exactly alike. 



They are noisy birds, like all the Oonures, painfully noisy at times ; 

 and their voices are extremely piercing and shrill; but they get very 

 tame, and learn to speak a little. 



Without great attention they will turn and tear out their own feathers 

 sooner or later, and that notwithstanding their being well supplied 

 with wood upon which to exercise their sharp beaks. We recently saw 

 one that had stripped itself of every feather it could reach, excepting 

 the large quills of the wings and tail; but after awhile it began to 

 eat those also ; and though it did not pluck them out, it gnawed them 

 down to the quick, and at last died miserably from cold, although 

 retaining its appetite and embonpoint to the last. Everything that 

 could be thought of had been tried to cure it of the distressful habit, 

 but in vain; its passion for self-mutilation seemed to increase by what 



