Islands, and America, where they inhabit the skirts of the 
dense woods. 
The macaws occasionally attain immense size, measuring as 
much as three feet from poll to tail-tip. This, of course, is 
an unusual size ; however, two - feet six niches might be set 
down as a fair average. The maccaws may be distinguished 
from any other of the parrot tribe by the face being entirely 
bald, or at most furnished with a few spare lines of feathers/ 
The Great Scarlet Macaw. — This, the largest of the 
macaw family, was once common hi the West -India Islands, 
but has become almost extinct hi those 
localities. South America is now the 
chief macaw depot, and from thence 
they are imported to Europe. The 
greater part of its body is of a brilliant 
scarlet, the quill-feathers blue, which 
colour also marks the lower part of the 
back and wings, while the tail is a 
wondrous blending of red and blue and 
brown, and violet and pink. 
Mr. Wallace, in his “ Travels on the 
Amazon and Bio Negro,” informs us 
that the natives of the latter region 
wear head-dresses made from the 
shoulders of the red macaw. “ The 
Indians,” says he, “ keep these noble 
birds in great open houses or cages, 
feeding them with fowls, solely for the 
sake of their feathers, which are highly prized, not 
mB only from their being almost equal in beauty to a 
a m plume of white ostrich feathers, but from the birds 
Jy themselves being rare.” 
jm This bird is seen to much better advantage if it is 
if chained to an open perch : so secured, its plumage 
g is less likely to be broken and injured than when con- 
fined in a cage. Still, this is a course which the dispo- 
& sition of the bird will not always allow. As a rule, 
“ it is cross, snappish, and spiteful, and should never 
macaw. kept where there are little children. If reared from 
the nest it can be made a first-rate talker, but to attempt to 
teach an adult anything beyond its natural horrid shriek, is 
labour in vain. 
The Blue ahd Yellow Macaw. — This bird is smaller than 
