The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-29


birds OF Paradise and a few other species.
But the number OF other birds not generally
known which have the same form Of orna-
ment. is very large. The examples collected
in the parrot house should be noted. as CIV
ing some fresh ideas on the subject.
There IS a race of parrot-like bids found
mostly in the islands Of the Eastern archi-
pelago which are. perhaps. the best IN
stances OF the magnihcence which the tex
ture Of feathers lends TO simple pure col
ors. not elaborated by any pattern or nat
ural ornament. They are known as various
species of 'Eclectus." by which the person
who originally named them may be sup
posed 10 have intended 10 signify that they
were something very specially Striking
among birds OF fine plumage. Some are
pure green. others the most beautiful GRIM
son and carmine. They are about the size
Of = large gray parrot. but the plunage IS
more like that OF a silky bantam. This
g.isteBing. silky coat looks as il it had been
artifcialy dyed. The grand e~clectus.'
from New Guinea. shows all shades OF
crimson shaded with purple; others are
studies in green and gold" Even the bril-
liant macaws scarcely equal them in color.
These, the noisiest and most striking OF all
birds, all come from America. south OF
Mexico. They are the characteristic bird OF
the great forest OF the new world. The
rarest Of those In the parrot house at the
Zoo is the great blue Hyacinthine macaw,
one Of the four species found in Brazil.
SOME CHINESE PARROTS.
Among the rarer and more interesting Of
the parrots are two entirely new ones from
China. These birds are known as the Derbi-
an parrakeet. but are as large as many
parrots. They have gray heads. with thin
black collars round their necks. d0ve-c0l-
ored breasts and greenish backs. In fact.
their coloring is more that Of pigeons than
parrots. They have nothing i'm common
with such A brilliant little fellow as the
Australian Paradise parrakeet. for instance.
The cock bird of this species has a tur-
qqoisc blue breast, gray back and yellow
wings-like n gloriied tom-tit. The King
parrot. with it's blazing scarlet breast and
green back should be noted: also a very
beautiful and uncommon species from
Fiji. This is known as the Fabian parrot.
The specimen AZ the Zoo is a clever bird
and talks well. It's breast is dark carmins
and its back brilliant iridescent green.
The edges of its wings are blue. Contrast
with these gay. fruit-eating birds the dark
and devilish criminal parrot from the
nlBNllAn1tR VI lNtM dAdA II - n blk IL
with a long, curved. sharp beak. and uni
form dark plumage of greenish brown
This is the Ikea parrot, which took to kill
ing sheep. and is said never to have IN
learnt the taste for muttoE. its diversion
from the paths OF goodness came about in
this way. When the shepherds UP in the
hills Killed a sheep they used 10 spread out
the skin. inside ont. to dry. The parrots
~ Tnurn anu ate the rnn~zc1c Of far ad-
herring to these skins, which. as It saved
them the trouble. tue shepherds did not oh
ject to. Then the parrots attacked injured
sheep, and finally are said Cand the story
seems 30 obtain credence in the colonies) to
dig holes in the Sleeps backs and practi-
caliy 10 eat them alive.
The cockatoos are a pleasing race. Ger
tsinly the most afectionate of the parrot
tribe. and "a some ways the most beautiful,
though their coloring is pale and delicate.
They are like the lilies in this garden OF
birds, while the parrots and macaws ars
like the brilliant dollhouse plants. One rare
cockatOo is, however, almost as black as a
! crow. This is the great black cOckatoo OF
north Australia aud New Guinea. 1t lives
in the thick tropical forest, is a shy bird,
and subsists largely on seeds, especially
those of the screw pine. The cockatocs are
only found in the Australian region, the
Philippines and the Sulu archipelago. II is
quite possible that as the two latter groups
Of islands are explored, more species. Of
equal beauty with those which we know,
VIII be discovered. AS there are in all quite
five hundred species of the parrot family,
the collection at the Zoo could not be ex-
pected to give more than a general idea e
their special interest and various forms.
But from the two northern parrots which
live az high towards the pole as the Straits
Of Magellan, TO the New Zealand owl pa
rot, whose plumage is like green moss. and
its habits that OF a vegetarian owl. there
is not one which is not a high type OF bird.
interesting for its brain power and thought
full ways, as well as for plumage and ap-
I pearance. Noturalists now incline to believe
that they represent the highest Develop
ment of many sides OF bird life. Perhaps
the most curious discovery In this connec-
ton lately made was that the great forest
eagle of Guinea has a beak so like that OF
some parrots that they are possibly dis
family related. The favorite gray parrot.
the best talker of all. is probably the most
generally popular bird that exists. 1t thor
oughly deserves its reputation. for even
among the clever parrots it is unsurpassed
fOf lntellgence- IN CenlFal america It's req
tail is a fetish. Its cleverness is looked upon
as something akin TO supernatural, even by
the negro tribes. 1t breeds in colonies. like
jackdaws. As might be expected, il holds
its own against all other birds. On one islet
off the west coast a colony Of parrots live.
and on an adjacent island a colony OF kites.
If a kite finds its way to the parrot island
it is attacked and stripped OF its feathers.
No oatlanders are allowed in the parrot
island.
EsF Next Week:
"The Giraffe House"