Parrots much inferior in size and less richly decked fly amid the
foliage in vast numbers. The two most common species are the Amazon
green parrot and the festive green parrot.
Of the former (Psittacus Amazonius) there are several varieties. They
have their homes in the midst of the impenetrable forests. The female
lays four white eggs in the hollow of a tree. The usual length is about
fourteen inches. The bills vary in colour; the plumage is of a bright
green, with the feathers marked by dusky or blackish margins. On the
top or edges of the shoulders there is a brilliant scarlet patch,
bounded by shades of blue, green, and yellow. A bright blue band
reaches from eye to eye, beyond which the feathers of the crown, cheeks,
and throat are of a rich yellow.
The Brazilian green parrot is a large and beautiful bird, of a fine
grass-green, rather paler beneath the feathers, edged with
purplish-brown. The front and round the base of the bill is bright red,
the cheeks rather deep blue, and the top of the head yellow. The edge
of the wings, at some distance from the shoulders, is red. The tail is
especially handsome, the outside feathers being deep blue, tipped with
yellow; the next red, with a similar yellow tip; and all the remaining
ones green, with yellow tips. The bill is of a light colour, and the
legs and feet dark. It is the species most ordinarily brought to
England, and is valued on account of its powers of imitation--
individuals having been taught not only words, but whole sentences.