Amongst the Long-tailed Parrots, the ARARAS (_Aræ_) are easily
distinguished by their unusually large beak, furnished with a smooth
broad summit. The lower mandible is very short, and incised or obliquely
cut, without any ridge upon the chin, and having its base entirely
covered by a cere. The cheeks are broad and naked, but sometimes covered
with small feathers arranged in rows; the tarsus is thick, strong, and
short; the toes long, and furnished with large strongly bent claws; the
wings are long and pointed, and reach far down the tail, which is longer
than the body. The plumage is very thick.
The members of this very conspicuous group are almost exclusively
confined to the eastern parts of South America, where they inhabit the
primitive forests, far from man and the turmoil of the world. Unlike
other parrots, they live in little companies, which very rarely unite to
form a flock. They feed principally upon fruit, are comparatively quiet,
and although they exhibit but little vivacity, are as intelligent as the
rest of their race.
THE SCARLET MACAW (_Ara Macao_).
This species is about 2 3/4 feet long, of which more than 1 foot belongs
to the tail; the stretch of its wings is about 3 3/4 feet. The plumage is
magnificent and very brightly coloured. The head, neck, breast, and belly
are scarlet; the feathers of the neck and upper part of the back have a
greenish edge, which becomes broader lower down. The middle and lower
regions of the back, the rump, and under tail-covers are a beautiful sky
blue; the upper feathers of the wings are scarlet; the middle, hinder,
under, and shoulder feathers green, the latter shaded with red; the front
wing-covers are ultramarine on the outer web, and on the inner pale red.
The same is the case with the inner wing-covers; the middle tail-feathers
are more or less red, the inner web of the quills black. On the naked
flesh-coloured cheeks, which look as though powdered with white flour,
are five or six rows of little pencil-shaped red feathers, implanted
near the nostrils, and ranged around the eyes; the beak is of a clear
horn colour, black at the point and edge, as is the lower mandible; the
eyes are yellowish white, the feet blackish grey, the claws brownish
black. The two sexes are alike in colour, the young birds more delicately
tinted than the old ones. In the variety of this bird represented in the
frontispiece to Part I., the colours are somewhat different.
The principal portion of the plumage is bright scarlet, the
quill-feathers of the wings fine blue, the greater wing-coverts yellow,
tinged with green, the upper and under tail-coverts blue, the two middle
feathers of the tail crimson, and the remainder of the tail-feathers,
which gradually decrease in length towards the sides, are partly red
and partly blue; the feet are dusky black, the naked skin of the cheeks
wrinkled and white, the upper mandible whitish, and the lower one black
or dusky.
The Macaw was formerly to be found in the immediate neighbourhood of
such large cities as Rio de Janeiro, &c., but it has long since left the
inhabited part of the country. Flat, well-watered, primitive forests
appear to be its favourite haunts; it will not ascend mountains, but
in high, parched districts, burnt up by the heat of the sun, or in the
rocky, wild parts of Bahia, its cry is constantly to be heard. "Whilst
we were upon the rivers that irrigate the woods upon the coast," says
the Prince von Wied, "we saw this proud red bird, and recognised it at
once by its voice, size, and streaming tail, as it slowly beat the air
with its long large wings, and steered its course through the blue air."
"The habits of this beautiful bird," continues the same author, "resemble
those of other parrots. At noon we generally saw them sitting quietly
upon the strong under-branches of a large tree, the neck drawn in, and
the long tail hanging straight down. Except during pairing time, they fly
in small companies in search of different kinds of fruits, especially
those of various species of palms, on the hard shells of which they are
very fond of trying their powerful beaks. Notwithstanding the noise they
usually make, like other species of parrots they become at once perfectly
silent so soon as they have found a tree laden with suitable produce, and
when they settle upon it, their presence is only indicated by the fall of
the husks, which they bite off and throw down. During the cold season of
the year we often found them busily seeking out the fruit of a creeping
plant called _sphinha_; they climb up its tangled stems very adroitly,
and it is then easier to shoot them than under other circumstances. Their
crops were quite full of the white seeds of this plant; at other times we
found their beaks dyed blue by some species of fruit that they had eaten."
Le Vaillant says, in his "Natural History of Parrots," that the Araras
are stupid birds, which do not fear the hunter's gun; but we must say
from our own experience that in the unfrequented woods of Brazil, where
they are very numerous, these Macaws are amongst the slyest and most
cunning of their race. While sitting upon a tree feeding, the whole
party are quiet, or only utter a low sound, which somewhat resembles the
murmur of human conversation; but during their flight, or when disturbed,
their voices are loud enough. They shriek most wildly when the hunter
steals upon them unobserved, and disturbs the unsuspecting company in
the middle of their meal by a shot, and on such occasions often raise a
deafening uproar. Their loud scream is very harsh; it consists but of one
syllable, and somewhat resembles the cry of our ravens. Like all other
parrots, these birds are much attached to their mates. "In April of the
year 1788," says Azara, "Manuel Palomares, who was hunting about a mile
from the city of Paraguay, shot an Arara, and tied it to the saddle of
his horse. The mate of the dead bird followed the hunter to his home,
which was in the centre of the town, and remained for several days
upon the same spot; at last it allowed itself to be taken by hand and
domesticated." "In pairing time," says the Prince von Wied, "the Araras
endeavour to find the breeding place they have formerly occupied. The
nest is always made in some large tree, that has either an open cavity or
a hollow place, which they soon enlarge to the requisite size by the help
of their strong beak. In this the female lays two white eggs, resembling
those of most other parrots." Schomburghk tells us that the long tail of
the parrot often proves fatal to the brood, by betraying the presence of
its owner, as it hangs out of the hole in which the nest is situated.
Azara assures us that the couple never leave the nest, dividing the
care of it between them; and should any one approach, they testify the
greatest uneasiness. The young do not cry out for food, but signify their
wants by tapping at the sides of the tree. Like the nestlings of other
parrots they are very ugly and helpless, and for some time after leaving
the nest require the protection and care of their parents. The natives
prefer taking them unfledged, as they are then very easily tamed. Caged
Araras always seem to have been favourites with the Indians. "We saw with
great interest," says Humboldt, "large Araras flying about tame in the
Indian huts, as pigeons do with us; these birds are great ornaments to
the Indian poultry-yard, and do not yield in beauty to the Peacock or
Golden Pheasant."
It must, however, be rather dangerous to have Araras flying about in such
close vicinity, if only on account of the undesirable use they often make
of their formidable beaks, and yet in some instances they become very
tame. An individual in the possession of the Prince von Wied had full
liberty to fly about the apartments, but preferred being near its master.
It allowed him to catch it, or to carry it on his hand about the room,
and would stroke his cheeks in a blandishing manner with its dangerous
bill.
This species never learns to speak as well as other parrots, but is
nevertheless not quite deficient in the necessary talents. "My Arara,"
wrote Siedhof, "has shown a great facility for speech, imitating my
magpie, which can talk very well. For more than four months after it
came to me it was quite dumb, not even uttering its frightful cry. I
therefore hung it where the magpie, which chattered incessantly, would be
near it, and it had been exactly ten days there when it began to imitate
its companion. Now it can call my children by name, and learns directly
whatever it is taught. It has, however, one peculiarity, namely, that it
usually only speaks when alone." The Scarlet Arara can endure captivity
for many years; we have heard of one that was kept forty-four years in
the same family. The Scarlet Macaw is sought after with equal zeal both
by white men and natives; and the European sportsman rejoices when a
well-directed shot puts him in possession of one of these magnificent
birds. "Carefully," says the Prince von Wied, "and concealed by thick
bushes or trees, the hunter creeps towards them, and sometimes brings
down several at one shot. If wounded, the bird clings to the branches by
its strong beak and claws, often hanging a long time in that position.
Should the pursuer obtain the desired booty, it furnishes him with most
agreeable food; the flesh is very like beef; that of the old birds is
tough in winter, and often very fat; but when cooked it makes excellent
soup. The beautiful feathers are used in many ways; every native who has
killed a macaw decorates his head-dress with the brilliant red and blue
plumage. The Brazilians make pens of the quills from the tail, and many
savage tribes employ the other feathers as ornaments. The dark ones from
the tail are selected to feather their arrows. Even at the present time
many deck themselves with these magnificent plumes. Formerly the tribe of
the Lingoes manufactured ornamental articles from these feathers, which
they kept, until wanted for use, in boxes closed with wax. The Tapinambes
on the eastern coast, when making a feast on the death or devouring of
an enemy, began it in very festal array; the slayer of the deceased was
rubbed with a certain kind of gum, and then thickly covered with small
Arara feathers; on his head was a crown, formed of the tail of this
beautiful bird."