The Blue Crowned Conure. 
45 
hen bird scarcely left the nest, afterwards both birds mutually 
shared the task of rearing the young. 
(To he Continued) 
The Blue Crowned Conure. 
(Conurus hoemorrhous) . 
By S. Williams Jun., F.Z.S 
At the request of our esteemed Editor, Mr. Page, I am 
sending, a few notes alx)ut my Blue -crowned Concur {Conurus 
hoemorrhous) . . This Conure is one of a large family, |pf 
which Dr. Butler, I think, mentions about twenty -five in his 
book, " How to Sex Cage Birds." It inhabits the new world, 
and is by no means a common bird in our English markets, 
indeed, I believe my specimen was the lirst of its kind to be 
seen on the show-bench, at the Clapham Show this year. At 
the L.C.B.A. last November it stood third in a class of nine. 
The colour is a bright grass -green, forehead and crown l)iue, 
merging into green at the nape of the neck; wings washed 
over with a goldish tint; central tail feathers green, and 
outer ones brownish with the inside webs a rosy copper; 
upper mandible a light horn colour, and lower one black, 
joined by a whitish skin at the base; iris orange. An oblong 
patch of white skin encrusts the eye not unlike the macaws, 
only on a smaller scale. Feet light flesh colour. This 
Conure has only been in my possession a few months, so 
I cannot say very much about it as regards hardiness. Its con- 
dition IS fairly good, but will I have no doubt be greatly 
improved after being house -moulted. The two specimens in 
the London Zoo have a brownish patch at the nape of the 
neck; this is lacking in my bird, also, the blue on the head 
of my Conure is much brighter than in the Zoo specimens. 
This may be either a distinction between the sexes or due to 
a moult in captivity. The food I give my bird consists 
of half canary and quarter each hemp, sunflower, and occa- 
sionally' a few oats and millet. Fruit and nuts he is very 
partial to, also toast crusts, and fancy biscuits. Like his 
owner, he takes porridge (a good big spoonful) every morning, 
and enjoys it, greenfood at present he will not touch. The 
Blue-crowned and St. Thomas's Conures are the only species 
