The Hyacintiiine Maccaw. BIRDS. The Alexanphine Pakroquet. 
the coffee plantations, where it does an immense amount 
of damage by devouring the berries. In captivity it is 
said to be tolerably docile, but to exhibit the most vio- 
lent jealousy if its owner should bestow any kindness 
upon another pet, especially if the latter be a member 
of the parrot tribe. 
THE HYACINTHINE MACCAW {Macrocercus hyacin- 
thinus) differs considerably in its appearance from the 
preceding species, its plumage being of a rich hyacin- 
tbine blue, with the quill-featbers of the wings and tail 
violet-blue, glossed with green. The naked cheeks and 
the chin are yellow, and the bill and feet are black. 
This beautiful bird, which is a native of Brazil, does 
not appear to be so abundant there as some of the other 
maccaws; at least it is far less frequently imported into 
Europe. Its length is about twenty-eight inches. 
THE YELLOW PAREOQUET {Conurus sohtilialis) — 
Plate 15, fig. 50 — is one of the maccawparroquets just 
alluded to, which differ from the true maccaws in the 
smaller size of the bill, and of the naked space on the 
cheeks. Like the maccaws, these birds have a long, 
graduated tail. The Yellow Parroquet is remarkable 
in this group, as being the only known species of this 
group of naked-cheeked j)arrots which is found out of 
America, it being a native of Western Africa, whence, 
however, it has been introduced into Brazil, where it is 
now met with in a wild state. It measures about eleven 
inches in length, and is of a yellow colour above, and 
orange beneath ; the top of the head is also orange ; the 
wing-quills are margined with green and tipped with 
blue; the two middle feathers of the tail are green with 
blue tips, and the rest of the tail-feathers are blue. 
THE GULANA PAIIR0Q,UET {Conurus gxiianensis) is 
a native of Guiana, and of other parts of tropical 
America, including the West Indian islands. It is about 
twelve inches long, and of a green colour, spotted with 
red on the cheeks ; the lesser under wing-coverts are 
scarlet, and the greater ones yellow. This bird flies in 
large flocks, and is described as very injurious to the 
coffee plantations. In captivity it is said to exhibit a 
greater aptitude for learning to speak than any other 
|)arroqnet ; and Le Vaillant mentions his having seen 
a specimen so accomplished as to be able to say the 
Lord’s prayer in Dutch, at the same time folding its 
feet together in the attitude of devotion. 
THE PATAGONIAN PARROT {Conurus patagonicus), 
although not by any means remarkable for the beauty 
of its plumage, is worthy of notice on account of its 
advancing so far from the tropics as the southern extre- 
mity of the American continent. It is commonly met 
with in Paraguay, Buenos Ayres, and Chili, inhabiting 
the mountains at considerable elevations, especially in 
the summer, but descending towards the autumn nearer 
to the plains, where it collects in great flocks, and often 
does much injury to the cultivated grounds. Its general 
colour is a grayish-green, but the sides of the abdomen 
are yellow, and its centre bright scarlet. The total 
length of this bird is about seventeen inches. 
THE CAROLINA PARROQUET {Conurus carolinensis). 
— Of the numerous other species of this genus we need 
only notice the Carolina Parroquet, which is indigenous 
to the United States of North America, and advances 
as far as the shores of Lake Michigan. It is fourteen 
375 
inches in length, and its general colour is a bright silky 
green ; the forehead and cheeks are reddish-orange, and 
the neck rich yellow. The Carolina Parroquets are 
found in Mexico, and extend thence through the central 
valley of North America to the temperate regions; they 
appear to he permanently resident even in the latter, 
as Wilson states that he had seen them on the banks 
of the Ohio in Februaiy, flying about in a snow storm. 
They are sociable birds, flying in large flocks, and 
exhibiting a great deal of fondness for each other; they 
ma}' be seen sitting close together, and scratching each 
other’s heads most affectionately. Their favourite food 
consists of the seeds of various plants, especially those of 
the cockle-burr {Xanthium strumorinm), cj'press, hack- 
berry, and birch ; and it is partly to the abundance of 
these in the valley of the Mississippi, that Wilson attri- 
butes the restriction of the parroqiiets to that tract of 
countiy. They are also exceedingly fond of resorting 
to the salt si)rings or salt licks which abound in the 
same region ; these they visit, for the purpose of drink- 
ing the water, early in the morning, usually about an 
hour after sunrise. They come in great flocks ; and, 
on alighting on the ground, they give it the appearance 
of being covered with a carpet of the most vivid green, 
orange, and yellow tints. 
THE ALEXANDRINE PARROQUET {Palceorms Alex- 
andri). — Amongst the parroquets of the Old World, 
which, unlike the preceding, have no naked skin upon 
the sides of the face, several species inhabiting India 
and its islands have been formed into a genus called 
PcdcBornis by Vigors, from some of its members having 
been evidently the parrots best known to the ancients. 
The present species is indeed supposed to be the only 
one known to the Greeks,- having been brought from 
India by the followers of Alexander the Great, from 
which circumstance it has received its specific name. 
The Alexandrine Parroquet, an elegant and fixvonrite 
species, is fifteen inches in length, including its long, 
graduated tail ; its body is about the size of that of a 
pigeon. Its general colour is a beautiful bright green, 
paler beneath ; the lesser wing-coverts are purplish-red, 
and across the back of the neck is a beautiful collar of 
the same colour, bounded above by a black line, which 
is continued up on each side to the base of the lower 
mandible. The bill is bright orange-red. This beau- 
tiful bird is abundant in all parts of India, especially in 
the hilly districts, and also occurs in great numbers in 
Ceylon. The young are easily tamed, when they become 
very docile, and may be easily taught to speak a few 
words. 
THE ROSE-RINGED PARROQUET {Palceornis torqua- 
tus) is still more abundant in India than the preceding 
species, and is fond of dwelling in the vicinity of human 
habitations, frequently even breeding in the cavities of 
buildings. It is about the same size as the Alexandrine 
Parrroquet, and like it of a fine green colour; it has the 
throat and a collar black, and the band on the hack of 
the neck is rose colour. It is said to be very destruc- 
tive to the grain crops in India. 
THE MALACCA RING PARROQUET {Palmornis longi- 
cauda) is another green species, but in this bird the 
whole of the cheeks and back part of the neck are of a 
deep rose colour, bounded beneath by a pair of broad 
