64 
HYA CINTHINE MAOAW. 
of the other Macaws, as will be seen later on, but every Hyacinthine 
and Glaucous Macaw I have seen has been gentle, and ready to allow 
any one to handle them. I approach strange Macaws of the other 
kinds with caution, by no means sure that their tempers may not have 
been spoilt, or that they may not reserve their affection exclusively 
for their owners, but I have no fear of the sort with these two Macaws, 
although I have seen some half dozen, they were all equally good- 
tempered. They are much less noisy too than the other Macaws, though 
when they do scream the noise is in proportion to their size. I do 
not however think that they have the same intelligence as the others, 
and I am afraid their amiability has something to do with stupidity, 
as I never came across one that talked. Mine imitated the cackling 
of a hen to perfection, but it was so occupied with repeating that 
performance that it appeared to have no time for acquiring any other. 
The other Macaws did not appear to recognise it as a congener, for 
they were as afraid of it as if it had been a hawk without the 
slightest reason, for it was nearly as afraid of them. I did not keep 
it long, for I like to turn my Macaws out loose, and I was afraid of 
the mischief this bird’s beak might do amongst the garden trees, and 
as I was offered a good price for it, I let it go. The Hyacinthine 
Macaw is sufficiently scarce, though not so rare as the Glaucous Macaw : 
about £10 is the price for either of them. 
Before leaving the all blue Macaws, I may mention one other, a 
very rare one, Spix’s. This is much smaller than the other two; it is 
the bantam of the all blue Macaws. It has no naked space at all 
round the cheeks, the beak and legs are black, and the plumage is 
a very grey blue. I have only known of one specimen in captivity, 
that now in the Regent’s Park collection. This bird has all the 
appearance of having been captured as an adult, as its wing appears to 
have been broken by a shot. Its unsociability therefore says nothing 
as to what sort of pet a Spix would make. I should think a nice 
one, if one could get one that had been taken from the nest. 
