•C 5 ) 
The Black Parrot from Madagalcar. 
r T^ i HIS Bird is about the Bignefs of the Afh-colour’d Parrot with a red Tail, or a 
A Tame Pigeon. The Bill is fhort and thick at the Bafis, bending downward as an 
Arch, the lower Mandible bending in the fame Manner upwards; the up¬ 
per Mandible over-hangs the lower a little, but much lefs than I have 
obferved it in fome other Parrots: The Bafis-of the upper Mandible ; is covered with, 
a bare Skin, in which are fituate the Noftrils, pretty high and near each other; both 
the Bill and the Skin that covers .it, were white, or light, yellowifh, Flefh-colour; the 
Eyes had dark Irides, and a Space of bare white Skin round them : The Head and 
whole Body, both upper and under Side, is of a black or very dark, dirty, bluifh Co¬ 
lour, like the Colour of Pigeons, which we call Black Pigeons , not like the Black of 
Crows: The upper Side of the Wings is lighter, being only of a dark, Afh-colour; 
amongft the Quill-feathers are intermixed three or four white Feathers in each Wing; 
the Feathers of the Wings are pretty long; the Tail is very long, for one whofe Tail- 
feathers are of equal Length as this is, they having generally very fhort Tails ,; that kind 
of Parrots, whofe Tail-feathers are of unequal Lengths, are as remarkable for very 
long Tails; the Legs are very fhort, and the Toes fituate two backward and two for¬ 
ward, as in all the Parrot- kind; they are cover’d with a rough, fcaley Skin, of a dirty 
Flefh-colour ; the Claws are ftrong, crooked and black. 
1 his Bird was firft Sir Charles Wager s, and was prefented by him to his Grace the 
Duke of Rtchmondy who employ’d me to make a Draught of it for him, and permitted 
me to take another for myfelf. It was a very gentle Bird, always choofing to be on 
the Hand, and when taken on the Hand, it would often repeat the A£t of Treading, 
which makes me think it was a Cock-Bird. I believe it hath not yet been defcrib’d. 
The 
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