( r 5 8 ) 
The Red and Blue M A c c a w. 
T H I S Bird is undoubtedly the firft of the Parrot-Kind, if we confider either its Mag- 
nitude, or the great Beauty and Variety of the Colours with which its Plumage is 
adorned. It is the biggeft of all the Kinds I have met with. When the Tail is pcrfed, I 
have found fome of them to meafure more than a Yard [thirty-fix Inches] from Bill-point 
to Tail-end. The Arch of the upper Mandible of the Bill from the Forehead to the Point 
of the Bill is near three Inches ; the Leg from the Knee downwards, is not an Inch and a half 
long •, the longeft Toe, with the Claw, is two Inches and a half long. 
The upper Mandible of the Bill is whitifh, except on each Side next the Head, where it 
is Dufky •, the lower Mandible is Black or Dufky. It hath not a bare Skin covering the 
Bill, as fome Parrots have j the Nofrrils are placed in the upper Part of the Bill, juft within 
the Feathers ; the Bill is great and flrongy the Tongue roundifti and foft ; the Sides of the 
Head (from the Bill backwards for a good broad Space) are bare of Feathers, and covered 
with a whitifh, wrinkled, rough Skin. In the upper Parts of thefe Spaces the Eyes are placed, 
whofe Irides are Yellow. The Head, Neck, Bread, Belly, Thighs, upper Part of the 
Back, and leffer Covert- Feathers of the Wings are of a very fine bright Red, or Scarlet- 
Colour. The Quill- Feathers of the Wings are of a very fine Blue on their Outfides, and 
a faint Red on their under Sides y the firft Feathers next above the Quills are of a fine 
yellow Colour y fome of the Feathers being tipped with Green ; the blue Quills which fall 
next the Back are tinged with Green •, the hinder Part of the Thigh has fome Green, 
intermix’d with the Red. The lower Belly, and Covert-Feathers under the Tail, 
as alfo the lower Part of the Back, and Coverts on the upper Side of the Tail, are of a very 
fine blue Colour. This Bird is of the long, or pointed-Tail-Kind y the Feathers gradu- 
ally fhortening towards the Sides y fome of the longeft or Middle-Feathers are wholly Red ; 
the fborter, or Side-Feathers, are partly Red, and partly Blue, their Tips being Blue, and 
their Bottoms Red. The Legs and Feet are covered with blackilh, or dufky Scales y the 
Toes are difpofed two forwards and two backwards, as in other Parrots, all armed with ftrong 
Claws. 
This Bird is a Native of America, and I believe is found every where between the Tro - 
picks, not only on the Continent, but on fome of the American Iflands. I have feen many of 
them in London , in the Hands of my Friends and Acquaintance, and have procur’d this 
Draught from one of the fineft and moft perfect-feather’ d l could find amongft them. This 
is the Araracanga of the Brazilians. See Marcgrave* s Hiftory of Brafil , P . 206. Mr. Aibin 
has figur’d and defcribed two Red Maccaws , but neither of them is the real I hing. I fup- 
pofe them to be taken from Drawings he had met with. He makes them Cock-Birds, and 
of two different Species, yet has blundered fo far as to give to each of them the Blue ana 
Yellow Maccaw for his Hen. He lays they are brought from the Eaft and Weft-Indies. I 
never heard of any of them brought from the Eaft- Indies. See his two Red Maccaws in his 
Hiftory of Birds-, the Mac can or Macao of Brafil , VoL I. P. 1 r. and the Maccaw of Ja- 
maica, Vol. II. P. 16. I have by Infpeftion found Hen-Birds in the Red-Sort, nor do I 
believe what Albin afferts, that the Hens of this Species are Blue and Yellow. 1 he Blue and 
Yellow Maccaw , next to be defcribed, being fomething a fmaller Bird, much fcarter amongft 
us, and doubtlefs of a Species altogether diftina from the Red and Blue Maccaw. 
'The 
Vol. IV. 
B 
