496 AMAZON PARROT. 



however is not seen when the tail is closed: the 

 bill is black-brown, and the legs whitish grey: the 

 irides of a yellow colour, more or less deep in 

 different individuals. The total length of the 

 male bird is fourteen inches, the tail measuring 

 five inches. . 



The Female differs in having only a yellow spot 

 on the top of the head, and in having no red on 

 the shoulders: it has however a red bar on the 

 middle of the wings, as in the male: the plumage 

 of the upper parts of the body, as well as on the 

 neck and head, has a glaucous hue, as if slightly 

 powdered; the throat is yellowish, and the under 

 parts dullish or subolivaceous green; the upper 

 part of the tail deep green, growing yellowish at 

 the edges and tip ; the under part pale greenish, 

 but with a slight appearance of red between the 

 webs of the feathers, which however is only per- 

 ceptible when the tail is spread: the ends of the 

 larger quill-feathers are blue; the bill pale grey, 

 and the legs and feet pale brown. 



The Amazon Parrot is found in a large extent of 

 South America, abounding in Guiana, and especi- 

 ally Surinam, where it causes great devastation in 

 the plantations. It builds in the midst of im- 

 penetrable forests, the female laying four white 

 eggs in the hollow of a tree. The young are at 

 first quite naked, then covered with a whitish-grey 

 down, which is gradually succeeded by the plum- 

 age. At first coming from the nest the Males and 

 Females resemble each other; are not furnished 

 with the red on the shoulders, and have only a 



