ILLINOIS PARllAKEET,. 44? 



again has our able navigator aggravated matters 

 by not silencing the learned Forster, for proving 

 more than one species to be found in the raw wet 

 climate of Dusky Bay, in lat. 46; and to make 

 bad worse, to connive at several of the companions 

 of his voyage bringing into this kingdom not fewer 

 than eight species of this vagabond genus, who 

 had dared to take up their residence beyond the 

 genial limits of the torrid zone, which the Count 

 de Bu{fon had so authoritatively decreed to them, 

 and, like a great Creator, had said, hitherto shalt 

 thou come, and no farther !" 



The Illinois Parrakeet varies considerably in 

 plumage from age and other circumstances. The 

 male, according to Levaillant, has a yellow face, 

 and a rufous-grey breast ; blue quill-feathers, and 

 the tail about or nearly the length of the body. 

 The female is rather smaller than the male, and 

 has a shorter tail in proportion. The young of 

 both sexes resemble each other completely, and 

 have no yellow on the face, which is rufous-grey. 



Mr. Levailiant has observed many varieties, 

 which, having been kept in a state of domesticity, 

 were more or less covered with yellow on different 

 parts of the plumage : one in particular which had 

 the whole under parts, from the bill to the tail, of a 

 fine deep yellow ; and another which had the front 

 and breast of that colour. 



