PAVOUANE PARUAKEET. 



403 



Parrakeet varies considerably both in size and 

 colour according to the regions in which it occurs. 

 In Guiana it is not only smaller, but less brilliant 

 than in the Antilles, where its length, according to 

 Monsr. Levaillant's figure, seems to be near four- 

 teen inches. The red spots on the cheeks, de- 

 scribed by Biiffon as appearing in the old birds, 

 and the red garter round the thighs, mentioned by 

 Brisson,are, as Monsr. Levaillant assures us, merely 

 owing to that variegation of plumage which occa- 

 sionally takes place in all the Parrot tribe, when 

 in a state of captivity, and are by no means to be 

 considered as forming any part of the natural cha- 

 racter of the species. 



It may be here not improper to observe, that 

 Monsr. Levaillant makes a very important ob- 

 servation relative to the long-tailed Parrakeet tribe 

 in general; viz. that though this tribe may pro- 

 perly enough be allowed to constitute two natural 

 subdivisions, one distinguished by having the tail 

 regularlj^ or gradually cuneated by the successive 

 elongation of the side-feathers to the middle ones, 

 and the other by an elongation of the side fea- 

 thers to a certain distance only, the two middle 

 ones running out to a great extent beyond them, 

 yet in a state of domesticity it not unfrequently 

 happens, in consequence of the process of moult- 

 ing, that the genuine shape of the tail is injured 

 or altered in its proportions ; thus causing a 

 great degree of uncertainty as to the tribe to 

 which the bird belongs. It is to this circumstance 

 ~ that Monsr. Levaillant attributes the mistakes in 



