CONURES. 
117 
a more northern range than any other parrot, extending to Iowa, the great 
Lakes, and New York; but it is now confined to the States bordering the 
Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi Valley, and is very local. At one time they 
were found in enormous Hocks, which used to do great damage to the crops, 
but of late years their numbers have been greatly reduced. Wilson writes 
that the Carolina conures “ are particularly attached to the large sycamores, in 
the hollows of the trunks and branches of which they generally roost; thirty 
or forty, and sometimes more, entering at the same hole. Here they cling 
close to the sides of the tree, holding just by the claws, and also by the bill. 
They appear to be fond of sleep, and often retire to their holes during the 
day, probably to take a regular siesta. They are extremely sociable and fond of 
each other, often scratching each other’s heads and necks, and always at night 
nestling as close as possible to each other, preferring at that time a perpendicular 
position, supported by their beak and claws.” They lay from three to five eggs; 
and, if taken young, are readily tamed. The golden conure (C. solstitialis), of 
Guiana, is golden-yellow, with the exception of parts of the wings which are green 
and blue. 
Slight-Billed The great length and comparative straightness of the upper 
Parraquet. mandible of the parrot represented in the illustration on the next page, 
serves to distinguish it at a glance from all its kindred. This bird is the slight¬ 
billed parraquet (Henicognathus leptorhynchus), the sole representative of its 
genus, and restricted to Chili, where it appears to be abundant. It is about 
15 inches in total length; and the general colour of its plumage is dull green, 
becoming somewhat brighter on the top of the head, in which region each feather 
has a dusky edge. This colour is relieved by dull crimson on the forehead, lores, 
and round the eyes ; and there is a faint patch of dull red on the abdomen, and 
some amount of bluish tints on the wings. The iris of the eye is orange, while 
the beak and feet are lead-colour. These parrots are met with in large flocks; 
which may number hundreds or thousands of individuals, and keep up an 
incessant screaming. For a part of the year they inhabit the forests, but from 
October to April they make their appearance in the cultivated districts of Valdivia, 
for the purpose of feeding on the crops. At this season they appear every 
morning in large flocks flying from the northward, and returning in the evening. 
With their long beaks they extract the grains of maize and wheat from the 
growing crops, and also dig up roots of grass, which form their staple food. Indeed, 
they are more terrestrial than arboreal in their general habits, although they nest 
in hollow trees. It is but seldom that these parrots are brought alive to Europe. 
Grey-Breasted The grey-breasted parraquet (Myopsittaeus monachus) belongs 
Parraquet. t 0 a group of genera, distinguished from the three preceding ones by 
the bony ring round the eye being incomplete; this particular genus being char¬ 
acterised by the beak being rather swollen at the sides and rounded above, as 
well as by the tufted oil-gland, and the concealment of the nostrils by the forward 
projection of the feathers at the base of the beak. The general colour of this 
parrot is green, with the upper part of the head, lores, cheeks, throat, and breast 
grey; the under-parts yellowish green, and the primary feathers and wing-coverts 
blue, edged with green on their outer webs. The bill is reddish white, the iris 
