Psittacus brasiliensis, L.

Red-mashed Amazon (Ger., Rothmasken-Amazone, Rothmaskirter Kurzflugelpapagei; Fr., Perroquet Amazone a masque rouge; Dut., Roodmasker Amazone Papegaai) - Description.

This Amazon, which belongs to the larger species, is also among the most interesting. It is one of those described by Edwards, and named by Linne; yet the older writers have given no further information concerning it, and all knowledge of its habits, indeed of its native land, was wanting until recently.

It is scarlet on the forehead and top of the head (the lores and sides of the forehead a dull scarlet; the middle of the forehead and front of the head pale-red, with a yellowish-green lustre); the cheeks and the space round the ear are of a bluish-red (the streak above the eye and near the ear is of a cornflower-blue); the back of the head and neck green (each feather having a red spot in the centre); the primaries and secondaries more or less yellow on the outer web; the final half of the tail feathers scarlet, with greenish-yellow tips; the two centre ones without red; all the upper part of the body grass-green, the feathers having no dark edges (yet the upper coverts of the wings and shoulders have a bright blackish-blue lustre; the back, rump, and upper tail coverts are pure green); all the lower part of the body is yellowish-green; the upper part of the throat is bluish-red; the beak brownish horn-grey, with a lighter ridge, a blackish point, and a yellowish-grey spot on either side of the upper mandible; the lower beak is a yellowish horn-grey; skin on the nose grey; eyes brown, with an orange-red ring (sometimes it is dark-blue); the eye cere grey-blue; feet grey; claws black. The blackish-blue lustre may be considered as the special mark for recognition. Size, almost as large as a raven (length, 15 3/8in. to 17 3/4in.; wings, 8 5/8in. to 9|in.; tail, 4 1/4in. to 5 3/8in.). It has lately been proved to be a native of Southern Brazil.

In the year 1828 there was a Red-masked Amazon in the collection of living birds belonging to the Emperor of Austria, in Schonbrunn. Several decades later Count Hollstein brought another with him from his travels in Brazil, which then passed into the possession of Mr. Karl Hagenbeck, and was shown at the great Ornis Exhibition, in Berlin, amongst the collection of Amazons which I have already mentioned several times. The third Amazon of this species was received by Mr. K. Petermann, in Rostock, through the bird dealer, A. Schiiffer, in Hamburg. This Amazon is said to become exceedingly tame, and so gentle that one may do all sorts of things to it without its biting. It is not credited with any special talent for speech; yet it does not utter the harsh, ugly cry.