75 



ffASA fjARROT. 



Psittacus vasa, Shw. 



Synonyms: Coracopsis vasa, Gr., Sol., etc.; 



Coracopsis melanoryncha , Fnsch.; Platycercus vasa, Vgrs.; 



Vasa obscura, Schlgl.; Vigorsia vasa, Swns. 



German: Der grosse schwarze Papagei oder der grosse Vasapapagei, Rss. 



French: Le grand Vasa, Lvll. 



A RUSTY Crow, or a Rook, with its legs cut off, and a white 

 crab's claw in lieu of a beak, would fairy represent this by no 

 means handsome bird; which, nevertheless, is possessed of quite a string 

 of good qualities, among which may be reckoned hardihood, longevity, 

 a not unmusical note, or call, great capacity for domestication, and 

 gentleness; but on the other hand it seldom learns to speak, is 

 decidedly not pretty, and at times will yell in a most persistent and 

 aggravating manner; a failing, however, that is peculiar to almost every 

 member of the great family of the Psittacidai. 



The general colour of the plumage is a dull greyish black, to which 

 the white beak forms a curious, but not a pleasing contrast. The head 

 is rather small, and the tail somewhat long and broad in proportion 

 to the body, which about equals in size that of a large Grey Parrot, 

 or a Blue-fronted Amazon; although from the length of the tail it 

 looks a larger bird than either of those we have named; which, how- 

 ever, both vastly surpass it in intelligence, as they also do in personal 

 appearance. 



The Zoological Society of London were presented in 1830 with a 

 bird of this species, which survived in the Parrot House for fifty-two 

 years; when it died apparently from old age. This individual was, 

 after death, ascertained to be a female; but during the whole of its 

 long life, at least in captivity, the ovary remained quiescent, no egg 

 or eggs having been obtained from it; a fact that caused its sex to 

 be a matter of speculation while alive. 



