The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 8

HABITATION.--Being, like the preceding one, a native of Surinam, Guiana, and Brazil, its way of living and qualities are much the same. It does not, however, learn to speak so easily, and cannot p.r.o.nounce the word _maccaw_ so distinctly; but it imitates perfectly the bleating of sheep, the mewing of cats, and the barking of dogs.

Its custom of only drinking in the evening seems extraordinary.

THE ILLINOIS PARROT.

Psittacus pertinax, LINNaeUS; La Perruche Illinoise; Der Illinesische Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

This is a species which almost all bird-sellers have. Its length is nine inches and a half. The beak is light grey, the eyes surrounded with a naked greyish skin, the iris is deep orange. The feet are dark grey. The princ.i.p.al colour on the top of the body is green, that under is yellowish grey. The forehead, cheeks, and throat are of a brilliant orange; the top of the head is dark green; this colour is lighter and yellowish on the back of the head; the top of the neck is greenish grey; there are some orange spots on the belly.

In the female, the forehead only is deep yellow, and there is no other mixture of yellow either on the head or belly.

HABITATION.--This parrot is also a native of the hottest parts of South America, frequenting savannas, or any other open places, and building its nest even in the holes of the Termites (_Termes fatalis_, LINNaeUS.) These birds are so sociable that they may be seen in flocks of five or six hundred.

In the house, they must always be kept in pairs, and generally in cages. They show the tenderness of their attachment to each other by their continual caresses; this is in fact so great, that if one die the other soon languishes from grief.

FOOD.--When these birds go forth to steal chestnuts, acorns, peas, and similar fruits, which form their food, they always place a sentinel to warn them of the approach of an enemy: at the least alarm, they fly away, uttering loud cries. When confined, they are fed with nuts, and bread soaked in boiled milk.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Their handsome plumage, their affectionate and confiding ways, and the tenderness of attachment which these pretty birds have for each other, make them great favourites; but they learn scarcely any thing, and their continual cries are sometimes very annoying.

THE LONG-TAILED GREEN PARRAKEET.

Psittacus rufirostris, LINNaeUS; Le Sincialo, BUFFON; Der rothschnablige Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this species is twelve inches and a half, but the tail alone measures seven inches and a half. This bird is not larger than a blackbird; the folded wings only cover one quarter of the tail, the centre feathers of which are nearly five inches longer than the exterior ones. The upper mandible of the beak is of a blood red, with the point black; the under one is entirely black. The circle of the eyes, the naked membrane of the beak, and the feet, are flesh-coloured; the irides are orange. The rest of the body is yellowish green, with the wings bordered with light yellow. There are varieties of different shades of green, the tail feathers of which are blue at the extremity.

This species inhabits the hottest part of South America. Its cry is noisy and frequent; it soon learns to speak, whistle, and imitate the sounds of most animals as well as birds. In the cage, where it cannot have much other exercise, it chatters and squalls so incessantly, that it is often very disagreeable. It must be treated like the preceding species, but does not appear so delicate.

THE BLUE-HEADED PARROT.

Psittacus cyanocephalus, LINNaeUS; La Perruche a tete bleu, BUFFON; Der Blaukopfige Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

This beautiful species is not more scarce than the preceding, and is about the size of a turtle dove, although its length is eleven inches and a half, six of which being included in the tail, half of this is covered by the folded wings. The naked skin round the eyes is yellow; the upper part of the body is green, the under part yellowish. The forehead has some tints of red; the head is blue; the throat violet, with a grey tint.

This parrot comes from India, and is only prized for its beauty, for it cannot learn to speak. It must be treated like the preceding species.

THE YELLOW PARROT.

Psittacus solst.i.tialis, LINNaeUS; La Perruche jaune, BUFFON; Der gelbe Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

The whole length of this bird is eleven inches and a half. The tail is wedge-shaped, and the folded wings cover one-third of it. The beak and feet are green. The throat, the naked membranes of the beak, and the circle of the eyes, are light grey; the iris is yellow. The general colour of the body is orange, with olive spots on the back and wing coverts.

This parrot comes from Angola, and easily learns to speak. The food and treatment must be the same as the preceding.

THE AMBOINA PARROT.

Psittacus Amboinensis, LINNaeUS; Le Lory Perruche tricolor, BUFFON; Der Amboinische Sittich-Lory, BECHSTEIN.

This species somewhat resembles the Ceram lory, a variety of _Le Lori Noir_ of Buffon (_Psittacus garrulus aurorae_, LINNaeUS); owing to this resemblance the French also call it _l'Aurore_. Its length is sixteen inches, of which the tail, which is round, measures half. The beak is nine lines in length; there is no naked membrane, and the nostrils are in front; the iris is of a golden hue. The head, the nape of the neck, and all the lower part of the body, are the colour of vermilion. A ring of sky blue, very indistinct, surrounds the neck; all the feathers on the top of the body are of a beautiful green, with a fine edge of blue, or some dark colour.

In the female, the head is green; the throat, the under part of the neck, and the breast, are the same, but having a reddish tint. The small tail-coverts are dark green, edged with red; the tail itself is tinged with green. The beak is horn brown, with a reddish tint above and below.

OBSERVATIONS.--A pair of this beautiful species were sold to his Highness the Duke of Meiningen as coming from Botany Bay, but they are really natives of Amboina. Timid and wild, this bird has a sharp whistle and a cry like "_gaick_," but cannot speak. The feathers are so loose that they generally come off in the hand when touched; but they grow again very quickly. It is kept and treated like the others.

THE PURPLE PARROT.

Psittacus Pennanti, LATHAM; La Purpure; Der Pennantsche Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

In the male, which very much resembles the sparrow-hawk, the prevailing colour is a reddish purple, from which it derives its name among bird-sellers. The head and rump are dark crimson; the throat, as well as the small outer wing-coverts, and the centre pen-feathers, are of a most beautiful sky blue; all the under part of the body is bright crimson, shading to bluish on the thighs. The tail is of a deep blue.

In the female, which the bird-sellers pa.s.s as a different species, under the name of the _Palm-tree Parrot_, the prevailing colour is greenish yellow; it resembles the male sparrow-hawk in make. The head, the sides of the neck, and half the breast, are of a bright crimson; the throat pearl blue, shading a little to sky blue on the edges; the top of the neck, the back, shoulders, and last quill-feathers, are of a velvet black. All the feathers are edged with greenish yellow, except the scapulars and the feathers of the neck, the edges of which are the colour of sulphur. The rump and part round the vent are of parrot green, the long lower coverts of the tail crimson, edged with greenish yellow; the knee bands have a shade of sky blue. The under part of the body is of a brilliant yellow, with some irregular red dashes and spots, which show its relation to the former bird. The base of the tail is green, like the neck of the water-duck; the rest of the wings and tail are like the male.

OBSERVATIONS.--I have seen several of this superb species, which belonged to his Highness the Duke of Meiningen. It is a great pity that they are so wild, timid, and difficult to teach. Their note is a kind of chirping, which is rarely heard. Their feathers are as loose as the preceding species. They come from Botany Bay, and are very dear. Being more delicate, they require more attention than the other parroquets.

THE WHISKERED PARROT.

Psittacus bimaculatus, SPARRMANN; Perruche a Moustache; Der Zweyfleckige, Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this very beautiful parrot is fourteen inches, of which the tail measures more than half; its size is that of the turtle-dove, but very slender. The beak is large, orange-coloured, or pale blood red; the head of a fine ash colour, tinted with green on the top, and having a narrow black band on the forehead; the part near the eyes is naked, and pale flesh-coloured; the forehead light yellow; an almost triangular spot extends from the base of the beak across the cheeks to the throat; all the top of the body is meadow green, spotted with black. The under part of the body is of a deep rose colour.

There is a variety of this species with a black beak.

In the female, or what is supposed to be so, the forehead, the throat, the sides of the head and neck are pale orange colour; an oval black streak descends from the corners of the beak towards the throat; the nape, the top of the neck, the shoulders, back, rump, and upper part of the tail, are meadow green. The breast and belly, to the extremity, are of a fine green.

OBSERVATIONS.--This bird is very docile, amiable, and talkative. Its mildness is very pleasing, and it is extremely affectionate and caressing. Its cry is "_gaie, gaie, gaie_." It comes from the Islands of the Southern Ocean and Botany Bay.

THE CARDINAL PARROT.

Psittacus erythrocephalus, LINNaeUS; La Perruche cardinale; Der Cardinal Sittich, BECHSTEIN.

The length of this species is twelve inches, of which the tail, which is very wedge-shaped, measures six and three quarters. The beak is peach blossom, and the naked membrane ash coloured, the iris orange, and the feet grey. All the head is violet, tinted with blue and red; a black band surrounds the neck; the throat is black, the upper part of the body dark green, the under part light green.

In the female, the beak is yellow; the head of a dark blue ash-colour, without the ring round the neck; but the place of it is marked by a slight yellow tint. The young ones also have no ring, and the colour of the head is not marked; it varies from rose red to green.

VARIETIES OF THE CARDINAL PARROT.

1. The Blossom-headed Parrakeet, LATHAM; Psittacus erythrocephalus, LINNaeUS; Perruche a tete rouge de Gingi, Buffon; Der Rothkopfige Sittich aus Gingi, BECHSTEIN.

The head is red, having on the back a mixture of light blue. A narrow black line pa.s.ses from the chin to the nape of the neck; another line, of light green, below the former, forms with it a ring round the neck.

The rest of the plumage is green, but the under part of the body has a tint of light yellow. The tail is green above, having the inner border light yellow.