Family Psittacide
PARROTS AND PAROQUETS.
The order Psittaci is divided into six families containing in all about five hundred species. The American species, some one hundred and fifty in number, are included in the present family. Only one species inhabits the United States, and it is not found south of our boundaries. Parrots and Paroquets-the dividing line between the two can not be sharply drawn-are forest-inhabiting, fruit- and seedeating birds. They are poor walkers, good climbers, and strong fliers, making extended flights in search of food. Their voices in Nature are harsh and discordant; nevertheless, almost all the species possess the power of speech. Some, however, rarely learn to talk, while others invariably do. The red-tailed, gray African Parrot (Psittacus erythacus) takes first rank for ability in this direction, while the Mexican Double Yellow-head (Amazona levaillanti) is usually accorded second place. 382. Conurus carolinensis (Linn.). CAROLINA PAROQUET. (See Fig. 34.) Ad.-Head and neck all around yellow; forehead and cheeks deep orange; bend of the wing and tibiæ orange; rest of the plumage bright green; the inner vanes of the wing-feathers fuscous; the under surface of the tail yellowish. Im.-Similar, but the head and neck green like the back; forehead and region in front of the eye orange; tibiæ and bend of the wing without orange. L., 12.50; W., 7.40; T., 6.50.