[ 1 66 ] 
The White-Headed Parrot. 
'TP HIS Bird equals the fmaller Sort of Pigeons in Bignefs. Parrots of this 
JL Species differ from one another in Beauty ; fome of them have the Ridge of 
the upper Part of the Wing (where it falls on the Bread:) Red, and others have it 
not ; fome are very Red on the Belly ; others have there only a little Red intermixed 
with the Green. The Cocks may perhaps excel in Beauty, as is common in moffc 
Birds. I have feen a great Number of this Species in London, it being as common 
with us as any of the little green Parrots. The under-defcribed was not one of 
the mod beautiful of its Species, not having the Ridge of the Wing Red. 
The Bill is pretty thick and flrong, of a white or faintifh Fiefh-Colour, with 
a hooked Point, and Angles on its Edges, as in mod other Parrots; the Tongue is 
round, foft, and of a dufky Colour ; the Nodrils are placed in a white Skin, pretty 
near each other, on the upper Part of the Bill ; the Forehead is White, as far as the 
Eyes, and the Middle of the Crown of the Head ; the Eyes are of a dark Hazel- 
Colour, the Pupil being Black ; they are furrounded with Spaces of a bare very white 
Skin. Behind the White on the Head, the Feathers are Blue, intermixed with a 
little Red ; the Blue reaching behind the Eyes hath fome dufky Spots mixed with 
it about the Ears. The Sides of the Head, beneath the Eyes and the Throat, under 
the Bill, are of a fine Scarlet-Colour, breaking into, and mixing with the Green on 
the Neck. The Hinder-part of the Neck, the Back, Rump, and Covert-Feathers 
of the Wings are Green ; the greater Quills of the Wings are Blue, with dufky 
Tips ; fome of the firft Row of Covert-Feathers that fall next above the Quills are 
alfo Blue; the Remainder of the Quills next the Back are Green; the Tail is Green 
on its upper Side ; the outer Webs of the two outermofl Feathers are Blueifh ; the 
under Side of the Tail is Green on the Tips of the Feathers, and Red towards 
their Roots or Bottoms; the Bread:, Belly, Thighs, and Covert-Feathers be- 
neath the Tail are of a green Colour ; the middle Part of the Belly has a Mixture, or 
Spot of Red, which gradually foftens into the Green on its Edges. The Legs,, Toes 
and Claws, are formed and fituated as in other Parrots, all of a dufky-brown Colour, 
The green Feathers on the Back, and the Coverts of the Wings and Bread, are 
edged or fringed very narrow, with a dark or dufky Colour. 
This Bird was my own Property, The Man (a Dealer in Birds) who fold it me, 
faid it was brought from the Eaft-Indies ; but I rather believe it to be a Native 
of the Weft-Indies , becaufe I have feen many of them; and Birds from the Eaft - 
Indies are more rare. Though WiUughby in his Ornithology , T. 113. has given us 
Aldrovandus ' s Defcription of this Bird, and added a Defcription of his own ; yet, as. I 
find no Figure of the Bird any where, I hope this Draught from the Life, with a 
more particular Defcription than either of the above-mention’d, will not be difagree- 
able to the Curious* 
V o L. IV. D The 
P 
