THE TALKING BIRDS 
217 
inhabits the United States. The Carolina 
Parrakeet 1 once ranged northward in summer 
to Maryland, Lake Erie and Iowa, and as far 
west as Colorado; but now all that is only so 
much history. The hand of the destroyer has 
been heavy upon this pretty bird. To-day it is 
found only in a few localities in Florida, and 
the prospects are that in a very few years it 
will be totally extinct. To illustrate : In 1893, 
a colony of about thirty birds which nested 
on the Sebastian River was completely destroyed 
in one night by a local hunter, who captured the 
entire flock, and sent the birds to a New York 
dealer, in whose hands all those which reached 
him alive died in a short time. 
In color this bird has a bright green body, 
and yellow head and neck. It feeds upon fruit 
and seeds, and nests in hollow trees. 
The Macaws are large, showy birds with 
very long, pointed tails, and the most awful 
voices for screeching ever made for feathered 
folk. They are found only in the New World 
from Mexico to Paraguay, and in the Andes up, 
to 10,000 feet. Either in flight, or at rest in the 
green tree-tops, they are exceedingly showy 
and attractive birds, and to find a flock in the 
depths of a tropical forest is an event to be re- 
membered. In hunting macaws in the delta of 
the Orinoco, about every fourth bird that was 
1 Co-nu'rus carolinensis. Length, about 12 inches. 
mortally wounded would hook its beak over a 
small branch, die, and hang there until I would 
be reluctantly compelled to make my fellow-col- 
lector, who was a good climber, climb up to the 
bird and throw it down, with much anger and 
unnecessary violence. 
It is a pity that such beautiful birds should 
have such ear-splitting, nerve-racking voices. 
Although they seldom can be taught to talk, 
never cease to scream until dead, and are very 
apt to bite most unexpectedly, they are often 
kept as household pets. 
The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , 2 orange yel- 
low below and cobalt blue above, is one of the 
species most frequently seen in captivity. In 
the bird-stores of New York, they sell at from 
$10 to $15 each. The Red-and-Blue Macaw 
is another common species. The beautiful plum- 
colored bird occasionally seen is the Hyacinthine 
Macaw, from Brazil. 
The Cockatoos are mostly — but not all — 
snow-white birds, with lofty and beautiful tri- 
angular crests which can be erected at will, with 
striking effect. They inhabit Australia, Celebes, 
the Philippines and the southern islands of the 
Malay Archipelago. They are easily tamed, talk 
readily, take kindly to training, and become 
very affectionate and satisfactory companions. 
2 Ar'a ar-a-rau'na. Length, about 30 inches, of 
which the tail constitutes about 18 inches. 
